Everything You Want
by missbip0lar
Summary: Naruto has been in love with his best friend for years. What will happen when said best friend sets him up on a date with a work colleague?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Everything You Want

Author: missbip0lar

Summary: Naruto has been in love with his best friend for years. What will happen when said best friend sets him up on a blind date with a work colleague?

Pairings: NaruNeji, GaaSasu, eventual NaruSasu.

A/N: This story is loosely based on the song "Everything You Want" by Vertical Horizon. If you've never heard it, I would recommend listening to it. You don't have to to get the story, but it will make the plot a little clearer

Warnings: Slight to major OOC. And oh, yes. There will be smut. Plenty of it. Probably not in chapter 1. But there will be lots of smut in future chapters. And, yes, Naruto and Neji's relationship will develop to the point where they have a sex life. So, yes, there will be NaruNeji smut before we can get to the NaruSasu smut. If this bothers you, I just ask that you try to give it a chance. I think NaruNeji is a beautiful pairing that isn't showcased enough. Anyway, on to the first chapter!

-OoOoOoO-

"I don't know about this, Sasuke," Naruto said hesitantly, not wanting to upset his best friend. "You know how I feel about blind dates."

"I just want to see you happy, Naruto," Sasuke replied. "You've been moping around this apartment for the past few weeks, and I'm starting to think it's because you're jealous that I have Gaara."

"You honestly think I'm jealous of you and... _that_ guy?" Naruto asked incredulously, though it was true. He was jealous, but not for the reasons Sasuke thought. He'd been hopelessly in love with his childhood friend since high school, but he didn't want to ruin a great friendship with those kinds of feelings.

"See?" Sasuke scoffed. "You can't even say his name." Sasuke shook his head. "Just _meet _Neji. One date. That's all I'm asking."

"Fine," Naruto conceded. "I will go on one date with this Neji. He will not get my number and there will be no goodnight kiss."

"We'll see," Sasuke smirked.

-OoOoOoO-

Naruto sat nervously at the bar in his father's restaurant, Hokage, fiddling with the uncomfortable tie Sasuke had talked him into wearing. The bar tender had given him a bottle of sake on the house, and though he was trying not to get drunk, Naruto had already finished half the bottle. He was feeling warm and slightly relaxed when he noticed a man with long, chestnut hair and pale eyes making his way to the bar. Those eyes were... magnificent.

"Uzumaki Naruto?" The stranger asked, pulling Naruto out of his trance. He nodded. "Hyuuga Neji. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Naruto downed the rest of his glass and poured another. He took Neji's outstretched hand and shook it.

"So you work with Sasuke?" Naruto asked, unsure of what else to say.

"I do," Neji responded. "But that's horribly boring. Surely you don't want to hear about work."

Naruto chuckled and looked into those beautiful lavender-grey eyes, which reminded him.

"Hyuuga, huh? Sasuke and I went to high school with a Hyuuga."

"So I've heard," Neji drawled. "My cousin Hinata. I've also heard she was quite enamored with you, Naruto. Sasuke said the only way you could get her to leave you alone was by Sasuke practically raping your mouth with his own."

"He-He told you about that?" Naruto asked, dumbfounded.

*FLASHBACK

_Sasuke and Naruto stood in the quad outside school with some friends, when they noticed Hinata coming out of the school and making a direct bee-line for them._

"_Fuck," Sasuke snarled. "Here comes Hinata. Quick, kiss me."_

"_What?" Naruto shrieked._

"_Just do it," Sasuke hissed. "She may actually leave you alone if she _sees_ that you're gay."_

"_But I can't kiss _you_," Naruto protested._

"_Fine," Sasuke snapped, "then just stand there and take it."_

_Before Naruto could protest again, he felt soft lips pressing against his own, and a tongue snaked out and ran across his lower lip. Naruto's lips parted slightly, granting Sasuke's tongue entrance into the wet cavern of his mouth. He met Sasuke's tongue with his own, and ran his fingers through silky black tresses. He felt Sasuke's arms encircle his waist, and he felt Sasuke's fingers ghost over the small of his back, sending shivers up the blond's spine. He opened his eyes slightly, chancing a glance over to Hinata, who was standing a few metres away, red as a tomato and gaping at them. Naruto thought that was a good sign and deepened the kiss even further, pulling on Sasuke's hair and nibbling his bottom lip. Sasuke groaned into the kiss and Naruto felt his body begin to betray him. With all the possible strength he could muster, Naruto broke off the kiss and rested his forehead on Sasuke's. They were both panting heavily, and Naruto was sure everyone could see his erection through his loose jeans. He'd never been this turned on in his life, and he was hoping Sasuke didn't catch on._

_Naruto rested his hands on Sasuke's shoulders and pulled his head back to look toward Hinata. She was making a hasty retreat out of the quad and making her way back into the school._

"_Well," Naruto said, trying to keep his voice as even as possible, "You were right, Sasuke. That did the trick."_

"_Holy shit!" came a loud, brash voice from behind Naruto. "How can you guys kiss like _that_ and still say there's nothing going on between you two?"_

_Naruto almost wanted to agree, but Sasuke answered before he had the chance._

"_Because nothing is going on, Inuzuka. Unlike you and Shino, Naruto and I decided a long time that just because we're both gay, that doesn't mean we should ruin a perfectly good friendship by trying to date. He's my best friend. Nothing more. Nothing less. End of story."_

_And that was the first time Sasuke broke Naruto's heart._

-OoOoOoO-

"That's the day you fell in love with him, isn't it?" Neji asked suddenly.

"What?" Naruto asked, feeling his face heat up. "I'm not-"

"Don't try to deny it, Naruto," Neji drawled. "I can see it in your eyes. But don't worry. I won't tell him. I'm sure Sasuke wouldn't mind some competition for your heart."

"Competition?" Naruto repeated. "You mean you?"

"Oh, absolutely," Neji smirked evilly. "You're beautiful, Naruto, and I plan on making you my new toy until Sasuke gets a clue."

Naruto's face flushed and he smiled in spite of himself.

"I don't put out on the first date," Naruto said, grinning.

"Oh, that's okay," Neji replied. "Neither do I. But I'll have you begging by the third date."

"You sound awfully sure of yourself," Naruto noted, pouring Neji a glass of sake.

They sipped their sake in silence for awhile, and Naruto ordered the sushi sampler platter for them.

"So this is your father's restaurant?" Neji asked.

"Yeah," Naruto responded. "He opened it when I was just a kid. I've spent practically my whole life in this restaurant."

"So your father has his restaurant, Sasuke and I have Uchiha Corps. What do you do?"

"I'm a tattoo artist," Naruto said proudly. "I may not make the big bucks like you and Sasuke, but it's a living."

"That's fascinating," Neji said, clearly intrigued. "So do you have any tattoos?"

Naruto nodded behind his glass of sake.

"Thirteen," he said as he set his glass down on the bar. "But you don't get to see them until you can get me naked."

"So the third date," Neji assured him.

"We'll see," Naruto grinned, taking another drink. He was much more relaxed now, and what was more, he was starting to like Neji He was funny and confident, and it helped that he knew Naruto was in love with Sasuke and wasn't holding it against him. And Neji seemed sure that Sasuke would eventually get a clue. This date was going much smoother than anticipated, and Naruto silently wondered what could fuck it up.

As if summoned by his thoughts, another blond made his way out of the kitchen and was walking to the bar with their sushi platter.

"Dad?" Naruto groaned. "What are you doing here? I thought you had the night off."

"I did," Minato answered, "but I just couldn't resist coming down here to get a look at this blind date Sasuke set you up on."

"Grand," Naruto deadpanned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Okay, you got a good look, now can you _please_ leave us alone?"

"So can we be expecting him at family gatherings?" Minato asked. "You know your mother worries you'll never find The One."

"Dad!" Naruto shrieked. "This is our _first date. _It's hardly the time to ask if he's The One! Gp home to Mom!"

"_First _date?" Minato stressed. "Does that imply that there will be more dates in the future?"

"Yes, you crazy old man. If you haven't scared Neji off by talking like a lunatic, there will be more dates."

"Really?" Neji asked, smiling slightly.

"Yes, Neji," Naruto assured him. "I like you. Besides, I want to prove you wrong on the whole 'third date' thing."

"What third date thing?" Minato wondered.

"None of your business, Dad."

"I told Naruto I'd have him begging for it by the third date," Neji supplied.

"Neji!" Naruto protested.

"I'm surprised he's not begging for it now," Minato laughed. "It's been how long since you've gotten laid, son? A year? Since you and Fumioki broke up, wasn't it?"

Naruto buried his face in his hands.

"Dad, go away now," he mumbled, knowing his father was hardly finished.

"So, Neji," Minato began, "are you a top or a bottom?"

"Dad!" Naruto exclaimed. "Inappropriate. Go. Away. Now."

"Bottom," Neji replied, and Naruto blushed crimson.

"Well, Naruto inherited his 'big' genes from me, so just be prepared," Minato chuckled.

Neji's eyes seemed to glaze over as he looked at Naruto with an unreadable look.

"Dad, if you don't leave now, I'm going to have to hit you."

"Now, now, son," Minato tsked, "you know you could never take me, for one. And for two, your mother and I didn't raise you to be violent. Now here's your sushi, and I've got Teuchi in the back making his famous miso pork ramen for the two of you. It's all on the house."

"Dad!" Naruto protested again. "You know I can pay."

"I know you _can_," he assured him, "but these are the perks of having a dad who owns the hottest restaurant in Tokyo."

"I don't want perks," Naruto grumbled. "I just want a normal first date with a great guy."

"Then you shouldn't have brought him here," Minato chuckled, and Naruto had to admit, he had a point. He should have known this would happen. "Another bottle of sake?" Minato offered.

"Please," Naruto requested as he finished off the first.

After setting the bottle of sake down on the bar, Minato told them to have a good night and _finally_ left them alone.

"Sorry about him," Naruto said once his dad was out of earshot. "He's kinda pushy."

"Nonsense," Neji said, waving his hand dismissively. "He was funny, and you're cute when you blush."

Much to his own horror, Naruto felt his face flush again.

"So has it really been a year?" Neji wanted to know.

"Approximately," Naruto sighed. "It was a bad break-up."

"How long had you and this... Fumioki been together?"

"Four years," Naruto replied. "Since our freshman year of college. When we graduated, he moved to Okinawa and wasn't even willing to _try _a long-distance relationship."

"Sounds rough," Neji noted. "Did you love him?"

"I did," Naruto relied. "But I'm over it now, and I'm glad I'm here with you."

Neji smiled sweetly and said, "Me, too. Now let's eat."

The sushi platter was gone in no time. Minato brought out the miso pork ramen shortly after, and luckily he didn't stick around this time. Naruto was feeling tipsy off the sake, and he and Neji were laughing and joking easily.

"So then," Neji was saying, "then he pulls out-right?" He laughed, seeing the look on Naruto's face. "He pulls out and goes 'Pew! Pew! Pew!' I've never left a room before a guy finished coming before. Worst one-night-stand of my life."

"Bet you'll never be with a virgin again, will you?" Naruto guessed.

"Never," Neji agreed.

They finished their ramen, and Naruto's phone went off. He pulled his Smartphone from his pocket and unlocked it. The text was from Sasuke. _If you're not planning on going home with Neji, you should get home. Gaara just left and I'd like to get to bed soon. PS you forgot your house key, dobe._

"Shit," Naruto muttered.

"What is it?" Neji wondered.

"Sasuke says if I'm not going home with you I should get home soon. I forgot my house key and he wants to go to bed soon."

"I'll drive you home," Neji offered. "I wanted to thank Sasuke."

Naruto left a tip on the bar and they got up. They walked to the door together, and Neji laced his fingers with Naruto's. Naruto smiled at the sudden contact. It felt nice to hold someone's hand. His and Fumioki's relationship had stopped being physical about six months before they actually broke up, so the feeling of holding hands was almost foreign to Naruto. When they got outside, Naruto found himself face to face with a candy apple red 1969 Mustang convertable. Naruto had never seen an American muscle car up close before, and he was practically salivating.

"Like something you see?" Neji asked smugly.

"Where did you find this car?" Naruto breathed.

"A guy in California was selling it when I graduated college. I had already secured my job at Uchiha Corp., and he wasn't asking too much. So I bought it. Best purchase I ever made."

Neji opened the passenger door for Naruto, and he got in, saying, "So it appears chivalry is not dead."

"Oh, no," Neji replied. "Not by a long shot."

Neji got in the driver's side and hooked his seat belt, Naruto doing the same. He put the key in the ignition and the car roared to life. The purr of the engine had an almost erotic effect on Naruto.

"What do you say we take her around the block a few times before getting you home?" Neji suggested as he put the car in gear.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed excitedly.

Neji revved the engine a few times and they took off. Naruto was doing everything in his power to keep his erection at bay, and Neji seemed to notice.

"Something wrong?" he asked as he pulled up to a stop light and revved the engine again.

"Neji," he gulped, "at some point, I'm going to have to fuck you in this car."

Neji laughed out loud.

"I take back what I said about the third date," Neji chuckled.

"Oh, yeah?" Naruto said shakily. "And why is that?"

"Second date," Neji amended as the light turned green and he sped off. "So I've got these tickets to this concert next Friday night. I was going to give them to Sasuke, but since you seem so keen on a second date, maybe I'll take you."

"I'd love to go to a concert," Naruto said. "And I will not be begging for sex by then."

"Oh, please. You're practically begging now," Neji reminded him.

"Am not," Naruto scoffed. "This car just-"

"Turns you on," Neji finished for him.

"So?"

"So, if I had waited until, say, the third date to bring this car out, you'd be begging to fuck me in it," Neji explained.

"But you didn't," Naruto said. "Now I know what to expect."

"That's true, unfortunately," Neji admitted. "But you've never seen my seduction style. So I promise you, next date, you'll be begging me to get naked."

"We'll see."

Soon they pulled up in front of Naruto and Sasuke's apartment.

"How did you...?"

"Sasuke gave me your address in case you decided to chicken out," Neji explained. "I was going to come in and forcibly take you on a date."

"That rat bastard," Naruto muttered.

"Look on the bright side," Neji said. "You didn't chicken out and I didn't have to forcibly drag you from your apartment."

"Yeah, yeah let's just go in."

They walked up the staircase to Naruto and Sasuke's apartment, Naruto turned the knob, and they went inside.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called. "I'm home. Neji's with me."

"You know," Sasuke said, coming into the foyer from the living room, "you could have gone to Neji's place. You guys wouldn't have to worry about waking a roommate."

"We're not here to have sex," Naruto scoffed, crossing his arms. "Neji just wanted to say hi."

"Thank you, Sasuke," Neji smiled. "Naruto's great, and we're going out again next weekend."

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up at that.

"So a second date, but no extra-curricular activities after the first?" Sasuke clarified. "Wow, dobe, you're more of a gentleman than I thought."

"Shut up, teme," Naruto growled. "C'mon Neji, I'll walk you to the car."

"Oh, speaking of," Neji chuckled. "Why didn't you tell me he has a hard-on for fast cars?"

"Thought it would help with some other activities," Sasuke laughed, an unheard of thing for the Uchiha.

"Yeah, maybe at a later date," Naruto replied. "You know I don't put out on the first date."

"I thought a hot car might change that," Sasuke shrugged. "It would appear I was wrong."

"Mhm," Naruto smirked, crossing his arms over his chest again and turning toward the door.

Neji turned with him and they made their way out the door, holding hands. Sasuke smirked at their backs and made his way back into the living room. He wanted details after Naruto got his goodnight kiss.

"So I didn't get your number," Naruto said once they got outside. He got out his phone.

"Really?" Neji said as he, too got out his phone and started typing on it. "That's funny. Sasuke gave me yours."

Naruto got a text a couple seconds later, and he opened it to find a winky face. He grinned and followed Neji to his car. He stood at the driver's side door facing Neji.

"So," Neji began, "I had a really great time tonight."

"Even though my dad's batshit crazy?" Naruto asked.

"Your dad is not crazy," Neji assured him. "He just likes to bust your balls."

"Maybe so," Naruto sighed, stepping right up to Neji so their noses were almost touching.

Neji took the hint. He wove his fingers through Naruto's hair and closed the distance between them, pressing their lips together softly. Naruto felt as if his heart had been kick-started into gear. He snnaked his tongue out and ran it across Neji's bottom lip. Neji smorked into the kiss and his lips parted slightly, catching Naruto's tongue between his teeth. He pushed Naruto up against the Mustang as he released Naruto's tongue, his own tongue darting out to meet it. Naruto moaned against Neji's mouth. _This is all too much_, Naruto thought as Neji traced kisses down his neck, loosening the tie as he went. He kissed back up Naruto's jawline and caught his earlobe with his teeth.

"I've wanted that tie off of you since the minute I walked into Hokage," Neji husked in his ear.

Naruto hurried out of the offending tie and tossed it on the ground. He wrapped his arms around Neji's waist and pushed their bodies together, sealing the second kiss of the night. Was that what Naruto thought it was, poking him in the leg? Or was that just his imagination? Neji grabbed Naruto's hips and ground their erections (_Yup, he's got a boner, _Naruto thought.) together, pulling yet another moan out of the blond's throat.

Neji broke off the kiss and said, "And that's when I say goodnight."

He got in the car and Naruto stepped up on the curb. The engine came to life and Neji revved it one last time before peeling out. Naruto sighed and walked back up the staircase leading to his apartment. He was sure Sasuke was standing right inside the door with a barrage of questions. Sure enough, as soon as Naruto opened the door, Sasuke was instantly assaulting him.

"So," he pressed. "How was it?"

"How was what?" Naruto grinned. "The date or the goodnight kiss?"

"Both, I guess."

"Great," Naruto sighed. "Just... great. He met Dad. Dad was his normal, lunatic self. And he didn't scare Neji off."

"A man who can put up with the family is always a plus," Sasuke noted.

"And he was so sure of himself, the whole time," Naruto gushed. "Dad even asked him if he was a top or a bottom, and he _answered_ without even missing a beat."

"Your dad should know by now that you only date bottoms," Sasuke commented.

"We've never talked about it, actually," Naruto admitted. "Then he told Neji to be prepared because I have a big dick."

Sasuke howled with laughter.

"Leave it to your dad," he laughed.

"And Neji just got this look on his face like he'd like to feed on me. It was kinda hot, actually."

"So how was the kiss?" Sasuke wanted to know as he curled his legs under him on the couch.

"Amazing," Naruto breathed. "He's a tease, and you know how much I love that, and he pushed me up against that _goddamn_ car. I swear to God, Sasuke, nobody's ever kissed me like that."

"Not even me?" Sasuke asked.

"Not even you," Naruto replied, and it was the truth.

"Now if I remember correctly," Sasuke said, clicking his teeth, "that kiss in high school was pretty hot for you."

"Shut up, teme."

"So Neji's kiss was hotter than _that?_"

"Yes, Sasuke," Naruto sighed. "I almost came in my pants. That's never happened to me before."

"Sounds like you need a cold shower," Sasuke snickered.

"No," Naruto said, finally flopping down on the couch next to Sasuke, "I need a hot shower and a big ass bottle of Jergens."

"So when are you gonna fuck him?" Sasuke wanted to know.

"Next weekend," Naruto said simply. "We're going to a concert. I plan on fucking his brains out twice that night. Once in his car-God, that _car_-and once at his place."

"So what's your favorite thing about him?" Sasuke asked.

"His eyes," Naruto said dreamily. "I mean, those eyes were beautiful on Hinata, but on him they're just... magnificent. You did good, Sasuke. You know my type, that's for sure."

"I know your type because _I_ fall into that category," Sasuke chuckled. "You like hot, dominant bottoms who know how to use their mouth. You're easy to peg."

"So how are things going with Gaara?" Naruto asked, finally drawing the attention away from himself.

"I don't know," Sasuke answered thoughtfully. "It's odd, being a full head taller than your seme. Some positions don't work too well. Shower sex is out of the question. Plus, he's been asking to bottom lately, and I have a feeling that once I do it, he'll never wanna put it in my ass again. It's stressful."

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Naruto said, rubbing his best friend's back reassuringly. "Things will get better."

"Let's hope," Sasuke muttered miserably.

"I'm gonna go jerk off in the shower now," Naruto sighed. "I have to be up early for work tomorrow."

"You work tomorrow?" Sasuke groaned.

"Yeah," Naruto laughed. "Why, what did you have planned?"

"I was gonna go see your parents if you were willing to tag along," Sasuke said.

"Why don't you go see _your_ parents?" Naruto suggested. "Or Itachi?"

"I see enough of Dad and Itachi at work," Sasuke explained. "And Mom is still on her grandkids kick."

"_Still?_" Naruto asked disbelievingly. "You came out years ago, and she already knew Itachi was gay. I don't know why she's so obssessed with grandkids. Neither you nor Itachi is the fatherly type."

"Neither is my dad," Sasuke reminded him. "But he made sacrifices for the Uchiha name,and that's what Mom expects from me. Nevermind that I could never get a woman _pregnant,"_ He literally gagged on his own words. "I can't come without something in my ass. But she doesn't care. She wants grandkids."

"Is that resentment I hear?"

"Fuck you, dobe."

"Okay, _now_ I'm going to take a shower and going to bed," Naruto laughed.

"Wait," Sasuke pleaded. "I have to pee."

"Make it quick," Naruto sighed.

Sasuke jumped up from the couch and slid into the bathroom on his socks. He closed the door behind him and Naruto laughed. Soon, he heard the toilet flush and the sink come on, so he walked to the bathroom door, stripping his shirt on the way. He slung his shirt over his shoulder and pulled his septum ring out of his nose so that it hung where it was supposed to. He pulled the ball out of his pocket and snapped it in place, happy to have his favorite piercing back where it belonged. Sasuke opened the door and stopped at the stupid grin plastered across Naruto's face. He rolled his eyes.

"Ugh," he snorted. "Take that goddamn piercing out when you're in my company. You know I hate that thing."

"Awh, c'mon, Sasuke," Naruto teased. "You know it makes me look sexy."

"It makes you look like a bull," Sasuke retorted in disgust, pushing his way past Naruto and heading to his room.

Naruto stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. He admired his refection in the full-length mirror on the back of the door. _Damn, _he thought, _I look good. _Naruto was extremely proud of his body modifications. He had three piercings (his septum and both his nipples) and thirteen tattoos, and he was planning on getting more tattoos. Most of his tattoos were restricted to his half-sleeve on his left arm, a tree symbolising the Tree of Life, and all the people he considered important were symbolized. Sasuke was there, in the form of the Uchiha crest, right on his bicep. That way, when Sasuke finally got a clue, he would already have a tattoo for his life partner. But right now, Sasuke was represented as his best friend. They'd grown up together, their mothers very dear friends. Sasuke had been in his life since the day he was born. And as far as Naruto was concerned, they belonged together. Naruto was sure that Mikoto would come off her grandchildren kick when she saw Sasuke happy with the one constant in his life: Naruto.

As it stood right now, though, Sasuke was unhappy in his relationship with Gaara, and Naruto was thrust directly into a budding romance with Neji. Neji was great and all, but he wasn't Sasuke. Naruto furrowed his brow as he readied himself for his shower. This was how it had started with Fumioki, too. He had constantly compared his last boyfriend to the Uchiha, and it had led to numerous arguments about Fumioki feeling like nothing he ever did was good enough. Naruto never told Fumioki the truth, and thought it was probably best, Naruto still felt guilty. He had loved Fumioki, sure, but the facts were always staring him in the face. Fumioki was not Sasuke, and therefore, Naruto could never be truly happy with him.

Now there was Neji. He was a great guy with _beautiful_ eyes. And that kiss! He could still feel it all the way down to his toes. But there were the facts, still staring him in the face like a flashing billboard that warned, _He's not Sasuke! He'll never be Sasuke! Don't even bother trying!_ Naruto sighed. He'd hoped he'd gotten over this childishness. But Neji had called him out on it. And didn't seem to mind! He spoke the truth as if it were obvious that Naruto and Sasuke should live happily ever after.

He turned the shower on and stepped out of his jeans and boxers. He got in the shower and stepped under the hot spray of water, letting the heat soothe his tired muscles. He washed his hair and his thoughts returned to Neji. And that smouldering look he gave Naruto. And that fast car. And that motherfucking kiss that had damn near sent him over the edge. Nobody had ever kissed him like that, with so much passion and pent-up aggression. It was almost like Neji was taunting him. "I know you're in love with Sasuke, but can Sasuke do _this?"_ No, he couldn't. Or wouldn't. Neji, on the other hand, could. And would. Gladly. Naruto was sure the sex next weekend would be the best he'd ever had, and just the thought of Neji had his cock aching painfully.

He reached down and grasped the painful erection, tugging slowly at first, then picking up the pace when his mind went back to that kiss. He moaned quietly as he tipped his head back into the hot water. He tried to imagine Neji, naked and writhing underneath him, and instead his mind conjured up the familiar image of Sasuke, eyes half-lidded in lust, chained to his, Sasuke's, four-poster bed, completely naked and panting heavily. Naruto pushed the image out of his mind, and again his thoughts returned to Neji, chocolate locks falling over his bare shoulders, and those eyes looking into Naruto's with unadulterated lust coursing through his veins. Naruto moaned again and sped up his face even further. Again Sasuke replaced his image of Neji, and without warning, his toes were curling and he was coming, long and hard onto the floor of the shower. Naruto groaned in quiet frustration. Why couldn't he get Sasuke out of his head?

Naruto hurriedly finished washing himself, then turned off the shower. He felt refreshed, despite the unwanted Sasuke fantasy, and the shower had helped clear some-but by no means all-of his worries from his head. He had a kick-ass appointment at work the next day, so he was looking forward to that, and he was thinking about getting Neji down to the shop to meet the guys. _And Konan_, he silently reminded himself. Naruto wrapped his towel around his waist and made a hasty retreat to his room.

Once inside, he put on a fresh pair of boxers and climbed into bed. He turned off the lamp beside his bed and settled in. He pounded twice on the wall next to the bed, his and Sasuke's secret way of saying goodnight since they were just kids. He heard two bangs from the other side of the wall and grinned. He yawned and sleep overtook him, his internal struggles all but forgotten for the night.

**A/N: Okay, so maybe a **_**little**_** smut. What? I'm sorry, it couldn't be helped. Kishi's characters sometimes get away from me and do whatever they want. And apparently Naruto wanted to masturbate. Hah...**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ta-da! Just woke up from an inspiring nap, during which Naruto and Neji were the stars of my dream (no, seriously). I woke up from my nap pre-maturely to write this chapter. There will be a little third base smut in this chapter. If you don't like it, then why the hell are you here?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters therein. I write this story solely for the entertainment of myself and others, and do not make any money for it.**

**Now that **_**that's **_**out of the way, on to chapter 2!**

-OoOoOoO-

Naurto woke up before Sasuke the next morning, which wasn't surprising. It usually happened like that when Naruto worked a Sunday shift. Naruto made sure the coffee pot was set up so all Sasuke had to do when he got up was push Brew, and his coffee would be ready in no time. Sasuke really was a bear in the mornings. Naruto checked himself in the mirror one last time, grabbed his keys, and headed out.

It was a short drive from the apartment to the tattoo shop Naruto worked at, Akatsuki, on the other end of town. Naruto found a place to park out front and strolled in through the front door. Though he wasn't late, everyone else was already there, waiting for the day to officially begin. They all looked up from their stations and greeted Naruto. He made his way toward his station near the back of the shop, next to a very pissed off blond. Naruto carefully set his messenger bag down on the counter, still looking at the blond, who seemed to have murderous intent. He turned toward his friend and co-worker, who looked back at him, his one visible eye narrowing dangerously. _Okay, so the murderous intent is meant for me, _Naruto deduced. _But what did I do?_

"Deidara," Naruto said hesitantly, "why are you looking at me like th-"

"Where the fuck were you last night, un?" Deidara exploded. "I texted _three times_ and you didn't even answer one!"

Naruto sighed. So it was this again. Deidara was feeling neglected by his boyfriend, Itachi, and had tried to talk his ear off about it. Again. That was it. It was time for Naruto to tell Deidara exactly what he thought of his and the elder Uchiha's relationship.

"Deidara, two things," Naruto said calmly, showing him two fingers. "First," he said loudly, showing Deidara his first finger; the whole shop was staring at them by this time, "I was on a date." The lone girl in the shop, Konan, glanced over at the boss, Yahiko, with a twinkle in her eye. "And second," Naruto said, showing Deidara two fingers again, "I don't give a flying _fuck-"_ he punctuated this statement by flipping Deidara off, "-about your relationship with that douche bag. He made life a living hell for Sasuke for the past 23 years of his life, and I personally couldn't care less if his relationship goes down the shitter."

"Harsh, un," Deidara mumbled.

"Well when somebody treats my best friend like shit for that long, I tend to not like the guy. Brother or not, that's fucked up."

"You've got some fucked-up complex with that Uchiha kid, Naruto," Tobi noted from across the shop.

"Oh, yeah?" Naruto countered. "Well your mask is creepy. Would it kill you to show your face once in awhile?"

Tobi ignored him.

"So," Konan purred as she slipped her arm around Naruto's waist, "you know you wanna tell us all about this date last night."

"Konan, you know I hate it when you do that," Naruto shivered in disgust. "It's almost like you're coming on to me. Blech."

"That's why I do it, Naru," she chuckled, and Naruto rolled his eyes at the nickname. "Now about this date..."

"Guys, he's great," Naruto gushed, jumping up on the counter and grinning broadly. "His name is Neji and he's one of Sasuke's work friends. Maybe if you guys behave, I'll invite him down for my lunch break."

"Us?" Deidara asked. "Behave? You do know who you're talking to, right?"

"Yeah, I forgot," Naruto chuckled. "But you have to promise not to humiliate me."

"Has he seen it yet?" Konan cut in, and Naruto knew exactly what she was referring to.

"No," Naruto sighed, fiddling with the piercing that was the topic of their conversation. "I wanted you guys there for the unveiling, since you lot talked me into it in the first place. I hope he likes it..."

"Text him!" Deidara suggested excitedly. "Best to know early if he can come down for your lunch break, un."

Naruto hurried to get out his phone. He typed a quick text to Neji. _What are you doing today, hot stuff?_

The reply came quicker than expected. _Sitting on my ass. Why? Got something better in mind?_

_Actually, yeah I thought you and I could go get ice cream on my lunch break._

_What time is your lunch break and where is the shop? _Came the quick reply.

_Lunch is at 2 and the shop is right down the road from Uchiha Corp._

_Can't be too far away from Sasuke. _Naruto could just see the smirk that he was sure was on Neji's face.

_Bite me._

_As you wish. See you at 2._

_Can't wait, _Naruto typed back, whooping and punching the air.

"Wow," Deidara chimed in. You must really like this guy."

"I do," he sighed. "He's so great, Deidara. I mean, I know I just met him and all, but I think this could develop into a real relationship. It's crazy."

"Sounds crazy," Deidara agreed. "So how's the sex?"

"We haven't had sex yet," Naruto admitted. "But I want to. _So_ bad."

"Then do it, un," Deidara laughed. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you jumped his bones."

"I'm going to," Naruto assured him. "Next weekend when we go to this concert."

"You're going to the Dir en Grey show?" Deidara asked, wide eyed.

"Is that this weekend?" Naruto asked, suddenly very excited.

"Yeah. Friday."

"If he takes me to see Dir en Grey I will love him forever," Naruto proclaimed.

"Ask him when he gets here," Deidara recommended. "Because I wanna know."

"Naruto!" Yahiko called from across the shop. "You have a walk-in!"

Naruto walked to the front counter smiling his mega-watt grin. A girl stood there with what seemed to be her mother.

"Hi!" Naruto beamed. "I'm Naruto. What can I do for you?"

"I'm Suki," the girl said. "My mom and I want to get mother/daughter kanjis on our hips."

"How big?" Naruto asked.

The girl, Suki, showed him with her fingers, and her mom agreed.

"Deidara!" Naruto called. "We're up! You can take care of Mom's paperwork, and I'll take care of Suki. We'll need to see some ID, ladies."

Suki got out her ID and handed it to Naruto. He jotted down some information on the piece of paper in front of him, then handed Suki's ID back to her and turned the paper to her. He handed her the pen and said, "Fill this out. If you have any questions, I'll be right over there setting up."

Naruto walked to his station and set up the tables for his and Deidara's clients to lay on. Deidara joined him and they got out their ink and guns. Naruto put a new needle in his tattoo gun and tightened the rubber band. Deidara got out two pairs of latex gloves and set them on his and Naruto's stations. They went back to the front counter and looked over the finished paperwork.

"Are you ready?" Naruto asked Suki.

"Yeah," she said nervously.

"Is this your first tattoo?" Deidara wanted to know.

"Yes," came the reply from both women.

"Both of you?" Naruto asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah," Suki said. "My mom and I are best friends, and we wanted to get our first tattoos together."

"It's addicting," Naruto warned her. "I got my first tattoo when I turned 18, like you. I'm 23 now, and I'm up to 13 tattoos. Get up there," Naruto instructed as he led Suki to the table. She jumped up on the table and laid back. Her mom followed suit on Deidara's table.

"We're going to be doing your tattoos free-hand," Naruto explained. "Tattooing a kanji isn't hard. Now, I need you to unbutton your pants and show me exactly where you want it. And don't worry. I'm not hitting on you. I'm gay."

Suki laughed and undid her jeans, pulling the top down to expose her hips. She showed him a patch of skin next to her left hipbone and Naruto pulled on his gloves, eager to get to work. He shaved the area, explaining to Suki what he was doing as he went. He picked up his tattoo gun and turned it on, the tiny engine whirring to life. He dipped it in the black ink and then looked up at Suki.

"Ready?" he asked over the whir of the tattoo gun.

"Ready," Suki affirmed.

"This might hurt a little."

"Duh," Suki laughed nervously.

"Here we go," Naruto warned as he put the needle to her skin. Suki screwed her eyes shut and gasped. Her mom seemed to be having the same reaction at Deidara's station. Naruto worked meticulously, making sure every line was perfect. When he finished the outline, he switched needles and dipped the new needle back in the ink. He started the shading process, and looked up at Suki.

"How is it?" he asked.

"Not that bad," Suki answered. "Annoying, but not that bad."

"Think you could do it again?" Naruto wanted to know.

"Yeah," Suki said thoughtfully. "How you doin', Mom?"

"Not too bad," her mom replied. "It's not as bad as I thought it would be."

"Deidara," Naruto said quietly, "what time is it?"

"I don't know," he grinned, his eyes making their way to the front, "but I think your boy-toy is a little early, un."

Naruto's head snapped around to look toward the door, and sure enough, there was Neji. Naruto felt himself melt inside as he locked eyes with Neji.

"Hi, Neji!" he called. "Pull up a chair. I'm almost done."

Neji came in a pulled a chair up next to Naruto. he turned it backwards and straddled it, his eyes finally resting on Naruto's septum ring. _Here it comes,_ Naruto thought.

"So there it is," Neji said in awe. "All last night I was wondering whether I'd get to see this piercing Sasuke always talks about. Funny, I never expected something he found so revolting would be so..." he searched for the word, "sexy."

"I approve!" Konan exclaimed from her piercing station, suceeding in startling the hell out of her client.

Various murmurs of approval swept over the shop and Neji narrowed his eyes at Naruto.

"Was this planned?" he asked suspiciously.

"Kinda," Naruto confessed, keeping his eyes trained on the tattoo he was working on. "I at least wanted Konan and Deidara present for the unveiling, since Deidara talked me into getting it done in the first place, and Konan did the actual piercing."

"Well I love it," Neji said. "And Deidara? As in Itachi's Deidara?"

"Yeah, un," Deidara spoke up, turning toward Neji for a brief moment. "Those Uchiha men have a thing for blue-eyed blonds, so you'd better keep an eye on your man around Sasuke."

"Oh, I intend to," Neji smirked.

"So about this concert this weekend," Naruto said, pulling the conversation away from the Uchiha family. "Who are we going to see?"

"Dir en Grey," Neji answered, and Naruto grinned broadly. "Excited?"

"Hell yeah," Naruto answered quickly. "I thought those tickets were sold out."

"I won them on the radio," Neji explained. "Third row from the stage."

"No fucking way!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Oh, yes," Neji assured him. "They're touring with some American band."

"Mindless Self Indulgence," Naruto supplied. "I love them too."

"Well then I'm glad I didn't give the tickets to Sasuke."

"Dir en Grey tickets would be wasted on Sasuke," Naruto scoffed. "He just doesn't understand the beauty of their music."

"Well then I'm glad I'm taking you," Neji said, bringing his face close to Naruto's.

Naruto flushed as he wiped the last of the ink residue from Suki's skin. He sat back and admired his handiwork for a minute before saying, "Okay, Suki. You're all done. The mirror is over there if you wanna take a look," he motioned to the mirror on the other side of the room. "Then we'll get your dressing and aftercare sheet, and when your mom's all done we can get you ladies checked out."

Naruto followed Suki to the mirror and she squealed happily.

"I love it, Naruto!" she exclaimed. "Thanks. And your boyfriend's really cute, by the way."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "He is pretty cute isn't he? It's the eyes."

"For sure," she chuckled, and her mom stepped up next to her to admire her own tattoo. The mother and daughter pair hugged, and after dressing their new tattoos, the group made their way to the front counter. Deidara explained aftercare and gave each of the women a sheet of paper explaining it further. The women paid for their tattoos and gave their artists a generous tip and left, leaving Naruto standing face to face with Neji. He leaned his chin on his hand and grinned at Neji for awhile. Neji leaned over the counter and planted a quick kiss on Naruto's lips, and Naruto felt his face heat up. He smiled sheepishly and kissed Neji again.

"Let me introduce you to everybody," Naruto said, taking Neji's hand and leading him around the shop.

"This is Yahiko, the owner," Naruto motioned to the orange-haired man with various percings in his face. "That's Konan, his girlfriend, and our piercer. You've already met Deidara. The redhead is Sasori. And the guy with the mask is Tobi. And that's our motley crew."

"It's great to meet all of you," Neji said politely, and everyone returned his sentiments.

"Naruto," Yahiko said from his station. "You have one hour. Don't be late. Your next appointment is at 3:30."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto returned. "You really think I would forget?"

He cleaned up his station in a hurry and picked up his discarded messenger bag from the floor. He slung the messenger bag over his shoulder and made his way to the door with Neji. Once they stepped outside, Neji took Naruto's hand in his own and they started walking toward the ice cream stand.

Once they got their ice cream, Naruto and Neji sat on one of the many benches outside the ice cream stand. They ate in silence for awhile, and Naruto put his arm around Neji, who smiled at him and leaned into the touch. Naruto blushed again. Why did Neji have this much of an affect on him?

"You've been looking awfully guilty since I got to the shop," Neji noted.

"Really?" Naruto gulped.

"Yeah," Neji chuckled, "and I think I know why."

"Oh, yeah?" Naruto challenged. "Why, then?"

"You tried to masturbate to me last night but Sasuke kept getting in the way," Neji said matter-of-factly. "Figuratively, of course."

"How the fuck do you _do _that?" Naruto blushed, looking down at his ice cream.

"I'm good at reading people," Neji shrugged. "And you, dear, are very easy to read. You wear everything on your face. But it's okay," Neji smiled evilly. "I think I know a way you can make it up to me."

"Really?" Naruto asked. "How?"

"Finish your ice cream and we'll go to my car."

"And what will we do in your car?" Naruto asked, grinning.

"You'll see," Neji smirked.

Naruto scarfed down the rest of his ice cream, and Neji finished soon after.

"Are we going somewhere?" Naruto asked excitedly. "Can I drive?"

"We are not going anywhere," Neji answered, then, seeing the dejected look on Naruto;s face, added, "but you can sit in the driver's seat. And I'll turn the car on."

Naruto squealed excited;y and they walked to the Uchiha Corp. parking deck. It was completely deserted, and Naruto was starting to question Neji's motives. Was he about to get laid? He gulped and let himself be led to that beautiful car.

Nji unlocked and opened the driver's side door, and Naruto slipped inside the car wordlessly. He unlocked the passenger side for Neji, who got it and put the key in the ignition. He motioned for Naruto to start the car, and he did so happily. The engine came to life, making Naruto almost instantaneously hard.

Neji grabbed the back of his head and pulled Naruto into a heated kiss, their tongues battling for dominance in Naruto's mouth, and Naruto groaned. Neji palmed his clothed erection, sending shivers up the blond's spine. All coherent thought was lost when Neji started to unbutton his jeans.

"What are you doing?" Naruto hissed as Neji pulled his rock-hard erection out of his pants.

"Just shut up and enjoy it," Neji purred. "Damn. It's _huge._"

Before Naruto could say anything more, Neji was on him, burying his nose in the thick curls at the base of the shaft. _Ohmygod, he took it all._ Neji moved his head back up, swirling his tongue around the head, lapping up the pre-come pearled at the slit. He dipped his tongue into the leaking slit and sucked hard, creating a glorious sensation Naruto had never experienced in his life. Neji's mouth plunged down again, taking the whole length into the back of his throat. Naruto fisted his hand in the chocolate tresses falling into his lap. He was sure he wouldn't last much longer, but out of sheer willpower, he held himself off, not daring to fall over the edge until he'd gotten his fill. Neji lightly scraped his teeth along the turgid erection in his mouth, pulling wanton moans from the blond above him. He hummed appreciatively around the hard length, new sensations coursing through Naruto's veins. He thrust his hips upwards, arching his back to get more of the wonderful sensation of his cock being fully engulfed in Neji's warm, wet mouth. Neji bobbed his head, taking all of Naruto in before moving back up. He scraped his teeth against Naruto's cock again, and Naruto thrust once more, filling Neji's mouth with his rock-hard length. Neji detached himself with a wet pop, and looked into Naruto's eyes.

"Come for me, Naruto," Neji husked, and he plunged his mouth back down, making Naruto gasp. Neji hollowed out his cheeks and sucked hard, pulling his head up Naruto's shaft slowly. He swirled his tongue around the head one last time, and Naruto cried out, spilling his essence into Neji's mouth. Neji swallowed the hot liquid and sat up, wiping traces of come and drool from his bottom lip. Naruto just sat there, panting heavily, all coherent thought pushed away from him in the afterglow of the best orgasm he'd ever experienced. He was positively high, and he was starting to wonder how great the sex would be if a simple act of fellatio blew his mind like that.

"Next time you want to masturbate to me," Neji said at last, "try using that as inspiration."

Naruto could only nod, still trying to regain his composure. When words finally came, he could only say one thing: "No gag reflex?"

"It's a gift from God," Neji stated simply, and Naruto nodded again. "Let's get you back to the shop," Neji chuckled. "And since you're already in the driver's seat, you can drive."

"Really?" Naruto asked, whipping his head around to lock eyes with Neji.

"Really. Now have you ever driven a five-speed before?"

"Yeah," Naruto said excitedly as he put the car in gear. He slowly pulled out of the parking space. He sped through the parking deck, still high from his orgasm, testing the car. The tires squealed at every turn, and Naruto pulled out of the parking deck onto the street. He sped down the road at an alarming pace, and screeched to a stop in front of Akatsuki. He and Neji got out of the car together and Naruto stepped up on the sidewalk, facing his lover.

"Well that was terrifying," Neji said.

"Whatever," Naruto scoffed. "That was fun as hell."

"Which part? The blowjob or driving my car?"

"Both," answered Naruto immediately. "Maybe one of these days I can get a blowjob _while_ driving your car?"

"Don't push your luck," Neji chuckled. "Your driving is scary enough without my mouth on your cock. I'd hate to see your driving while it is happening."

"Well you wouldn't be able to see out the windshield anyway," Naruto reminded him.

"True," Neji conceded. "But it's not happening." He pulled Naruto into a tender kiss. "I'll see you soon, Naruto."

"Next time I'll do something for you," Naruto promised.

"Next time," Neji said seriously, looking directly into Naruto's eyes, "I want you to fuck me. Please," he added, seeing the smug look on Naruto's face.

"Who's begging now?" Naruto teased.

"I am," Neji admitted. "I like you a lot, Naruto. I... I want to be with you."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Really?" he asked quietly, cupping Neji's cheeks in his hands. "Even thought I'm in love with Sasuke?"

"I think I can make you fall in love with _me,_" Neji said. "Just give me the chance."

Naruto kissed him, slow and deep, and Neji whimpered. It was by far the cutest sound Naruto had ever heard.

"So," Naruto said, resting his forehead against Neji's, "boyfriends?"

"Boyfriends," Neji confirmed.

I gotta get back in there," Naruto said reluctantly. "But I'll call you tonight."

"Talk to you tonight, then."

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Naruto's 3:30 appointment was a no-show, and he silently thanked his lucky stars. He wasn't sure if he could handle doing a tattoo that big with everything he had on his mind, and though Deidara had tried to engage him in numerous conversations, Naruto just couldn't seem to focus on the words coming out of his friend's mouth. Naruto was in a daze caused by Neji's mouth, and though he had quit smoking years ago, Naruto was silently craving a cigarette. He wasn't sure why. What had Neji done to him?

He helped close up the shop, still in a daze, and left. The drive home seemed to fly by and before he knew it, Naruto was parked out front of the apartment complex. He got out of his car and walked up the staircase, his mind still reeling from the day's events. He unlocked the door and walked in the apartment. Sasuke was sitting in the living room reading a book, and Naruto flopped down beside him on the couch, sighing loudly.

"What's got you speechless?" Sasuke asked, turning the page in his book and not even looking up.

"Neji came down to the shop on my lunch break today," Naruto said. "And he took me to his car."

"Did you guys have sex?" Sasuke asked, finally putting the bookmark in his book and setting it on the coffee table.

"No," Naruto sighed, "but you could have warned me the guy's got no gag reflex."

Sasuke smirked and said, "And where's the fun in that? I assume you enjoyed it."

"I definitely did," Naruto said. "But a little warning would have been nice. I had to hold myself back from coming as soon as he went down on me."

"Anything else?" Sasuke wondered.

"He's my boyfriend," Naruto told him. "I think I'm already falling for him."

"Good," Sasuke stated simply. "Neji's a good guy. Invite him over for dinner tomorrow. I'm making shepherd's pie."

"I will," Naruto sighed. "What's for dinner tonight?"

"Ramen," Sasuke said. "I was too lazy to cook today."

Naruto got up from the couch and made his way into the kitchen. He pulled a pack of instant ramen from the cupboard and made it hastily. He came back to the couch, chopsticks and ramen in hand, and ate his supper while Sasuke continued reading. They sat in silence. No words were needed between the best friends. They instinctively knew what the other was thinking.

"Don't stress so much," Sasuke said from behind his book. "It's time you move on. Neji's perfect for you. You guys will have a great relationship."

"I hope you're right," Naruto muttered as he set his empty ramen cup on the coffee table. "I just don't want to get hurt again."

"Life is all about taking chances, Naruto," Sasuke comforted him. "Take a chance with Neji. It might be the best decision you ever made."

Sasuke got up and made his way to his room, leaving Naruto alone with his thoughts. Naruto hesitantly got out his phone and texted Neji.

_You up?_

The reply was almost instantaneous. _Yeah._

Naruto took a deep breath, and dove in head first. _Come over and stay with me tonight. No sex. I just want you close._

_Be there in ten._

Naruto felt a small smile grace his lips, and he waited impatiently for Neji to arrive. As Neji had said, ten minutes later, there was a quiet knock on the front door. Naruto jumped up from the couch and scurried to the front door, opening it wide and finding himself face to face with the person who'd been plaguing his thoughts all day. Neji stood there, an overnight bag slung over his shoulder, already wearing his pajama pants and an oversized tee-shirt. He looked positively beautiful. Naruto pulled him into a slow and tender kiss, feeling Neji's knees shake slightly. Neji dropped his overnight bag on the floor and held Naruto's face in his hands, deepening the kiss. They finally broke off the kiss, both desperate for air.

"You know," Neji whispered, "you're making this no sex thing really hard on me."

"Tomorrow," Naruto promised. "Tonight I just want you near me."

"I can do that," Neji assured him.

Neji picked up his overnight bag and they made their way to Naruto's bedroom. Naruto put a sock on the doorknob-just in case-and shut the bedroom door. Neji took his shirt off and Naruto got his first look at Neji's toned body. He wasn't as muscular as Naruto, but he had lean, well-defined muscles that practically had Naruto salivating. Naruto stripped his own shirt, finally showing off his tattoos and other piercings. Neji hummed appreciatively.

"Did I mention you're making this no sex thing extremely difficult for me?" Neji asked as he traced his fingers along Naruto's abdominals.

"I think you may have mentioned it, yeah," Naruto smiled. He slid out of his jeans and got in bed, beckoning Neji to join him. Neji slipped into the bed beside Naruto and laid his head on the pillow. He pulled the loose hair tie out of his hair and let his long chocolate locks fall over his shoulders. Naruto combed his fingers through the long hair and scooted closer to Neji. They were practically nose to nose, and neither could get enough of just looking into the other's eyes. They kissed, slowly and sensually, and their bodies were reacting to the soft caresses. Naruto let his hands roam over Neji's milky white skin, and Neji shuddered under his touch.

"I want you so bad," Neji whispered.

"And you'll have me," Naruto promised. "Just be strong for one night. Sasuke wanted me to invite you over for dinner tomorrow anyway. He's making this really great Western dish that his mom taught him. It's called shepherd's pie and it's the most delicious thing I've ever eaten."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Two bangs came from the other side of the wall, and Naruto returned them.

"What was that?" Neji asked.

"Just saying goodnight," Naruto responded. "We started it when we were kids. Every night, either he would stay in my family's guest room, or I would stay in his family's guest room. Coincidentally, the guest rooms were right next to our rooms, so we started pounding on the wall to tell each other goodnight."

"And you still do it?"

"Old habits die hard," Naruto shrugged. He reached up and turned off the lamp, settling into bed and holding Neji close. They couldn't stop kissing, and what's more, they didn't want to. Their legs were tangled together underneath the covers, and soon, sleep overtook them. They held each other all night, and neither man had ever felt the overwhelming feeling of contentment so strongly in their lives.

**A/N: Sorry about all the fluff. I was in an extremely fluffy mood. I assure you, there will be a lemon in the next chapter. And I have also decided that updates on this will be pretty regular. I'm spending most of my free time writing it, and chapters are coming easily. So I promise, when I have a chapter done, it will get posted. Even if that means posting multiple chapters a day (which I highly doubt will happen. Sitting in front of a computer for this long is starting to have its affects on my back.). But stay tuned. More to come!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto.**

**Warnings: Lemons up ahead.**

**A/N: I wrote the lemons for this chapter before writing anything else for this chapter. I couldn't get them out of my head, and this chapter was a bear to start before I had the lemons out of the way. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.**

-OoOoOoO-

Sasuke woke up early the next morning. He got out of bed and padded across the floor of his room, fully intending to use the bathroom and go back to bed. He opened his bedroom door and immediately noticed the sock on Naruto's doorknob. So Neji had come over the previous night. Sasuke silently wondered why their activities hadn't woken him. He was a light sleeper, and even a cricket outside his window was sure to wake him up. So maybe they hadn't had sex? He knew the couple would still be asleep, so he decided to have a look. He took the sock off the doorknob and silently opened the door. He immediately regretted his decision.

The first rays of sunshine were coming in through the window, spilling onto the bed and illuminating the sleeping lovers. Neji was curled up on his side, his long hair falling in disarray over his and Naruto's shoulders. Naruto, usually a back sleeper, was wrapped protectively around Neji, his chest plastered to Neji's back. He was clutching on to Neji for dear life, as though if he loosened his grip, Neji would surely slip through his grasp.

Sasuke suddenly felt sick with jealousy. Though the scene before him was beautiful, he couldn't help but feel he should be in Neji's place. He thought he'd gotten over this little crush, but seeing Naruto curled up to Neji in such a way brought his feelings flooding back. Sasuke sighed and closed the door, slipping the sock back on the knob and making his way to his original destination: the bathroom.

Sasuke had trouble falling back to sleep after seeing Naruto and Neji like that. Finally, he sighed again and got up, going to the kitchen and brewing a pot of coffee for the three of them. The smell of freshly brewed coffee worked wonders for getting Naruto out of bed, and sure enough, just as the pot finished brewing, Sasuke heard Naruto's bedroom door open. He watched both men walk out of the bedroom, rubbing the sleep from their eyes as they made their way toward the kitchen.

-OoOoOoO-

Sasuke was wearing an unreadable look as he leaned with his back against the kitchen counter, sipping his coffee. He had set out two more mugs next to the coffee pot on the counter.

"How do you take your coffee?" Naruto asked groggily.

"Black," Neji answered simply.

"You'll fit in well here," Sasuke chimed in, taking another drink of his coffee. "We both drink ours black too."

Naruto poured Neji and himself a cup of coffee, and the three of them sipped in silence, still trying to wake up. It was Sasuke who spoke first.

"How did you guys not wake me up last night?"

"We didn't have sex," Naruto answered.

"What the fuck are you waiting for?" Sasuke groaned, covering his face with his hand.

"That's exactly what I'd like to know," Neji commented.

"The anticipation will make it worth it," Naruto said from behind his coffee mug. He glanced over at Neji and grinned.

Neji sighed in quiet frustration, and Naruto was suddenly glad he had promised sex tonight. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take the anticipation himself. It had been way too long since he'd had sex, and Neji was just the distraction he needed. All this moping and brooding over his unrequited love would come to an end at last. And he was sure to have the most mind-blowing sex of his life in just a few short hours' time. All he had to do was get through work and dinner, and he could finally ravish the man standing next to him. He suddenly realized that today was going to be torturous. All he would be able to think about was Neji, shuddering under his touch, wanting him, needing him. Dammit, he was starting to get hard.

"I need a shower," he mumbled as he finished off his cup of coffee.

"I'll join you," Neji offered, setting his mug down next to Naruto's.

"No shower sex," Naruto said as he let Neji follow him to the bathroom.

"I know," Neji chuckled. "Sex tonight."

When they got in the bathroom, Neji shut the door quietly behind them.

"What was with that look on Sasuke's face when we got up this morning?" Naruto asked, sure Neji would have an answer for him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Neji said shortly. Naruto knew he was lying.

"Don't play dumb, Neji," Naruto pressed. "I know you saw it."

Neji sighed loudly.

"That was a look of jealousy," Neji finally admitted as he slipped out of his pajama bottoms.

"Jealousy?" Naruto repeated. "You mean he...?"

"Yes, unfortunately," Neji sighed. "He's got it bad."

"Maybe he wants you," Naruto suggested, shimmying out of his own pajama pants.

"Doubtful," Neji snorted. He didn't seem pleased.

"Let's just forget about it," Naruto said dismissively. "I'm with you right now, and if he wanted me so bad, he shouldn't have set me up with you."

"Can you really forget about it that easily?"

"I want to see where our relationship can go," Naruto explained, turning the shower on. "I like you a lot, and Sasuke's not stupid enough to get in between me and what makes me happy."

"So you're not just using me to drive Sasuke mad with jealousy?" Neji wanted to know.

"Not hardly," Naruto replied, running his fingers through Neji's sleep-mussed hair. "I've been waiting for Sasuke for years. Now that I've found someone I could see myself truly happy with, I can wait a little longer. I honestly hope Sasuke takes his time coming to his senses. Maybe then I'll be over him and I can have a life with you instead."

Neji smiled and let the subject drop. They stepped into the shower one at a time, and Naruto wet his hair, letting the hot water wake him up even further. He switched places with Neji and watched in silent awe as the hot water ran over Neji's naked body, making his hair stick to him all over. Naruto was practically drooling. Neji looked at him smugly.

"Still think you can hold off until tonight?" he asked Naruto.

"Yes," Naruto said confidently. "But the anticipation is killing me."

"Me too," Neji agreed, coming nose to nose with Naruto and kissing him deeply. Naruto broke off the kiss and washed his hair, passing the bottle of shampoo to Neji as they switched places in the shower again. Naruto rinsed his hair and applied conditioner, passing Neji the bottle once again. They bathed in silence, every once in awhile stealing a glance at the other's naked form. They finished their shower and Naruto turned off the water, stepping out of the shower and retrieving a towel for each of them. They dried quickly, then made their way to Naruto's room to get dressed. Naruto slipped on a tee-shirt and a pair of jeans, while Neji put on a dress shirt, slacks, and a tie for work.

"I don't know how you can work at a place like Uchiha Corp.," Naruto commented as Neji raked a hairbrush through his long hair.

"Why?" Neji asked.

"You're not an arrogant bastard like everyone else that works there."

"Oh, but I am," Neji corrected him. "I just know how to keep my work away from my private life."

Neji pulled his long hair into a loose ponytail and grabbed his toothbrush out of his overnight bag. They made their way back to the bathroom and brushed their teeth together, smiling at each other in the mirror. Naruto and Neji finished in the bathroom and were about to make their way out the door when Sasuke stopped them.

"Neji," he said seriously, "I want the Microsoft file on my desk by the time I walk in today."

"Of course," Neji said as Naruto opened the front door. "Goddamn slave-driver," he mumbled under his breath when the door shut behind them.

Naruto and Neji descended the stairs together, hand in hand. They got in the Mustang, and Neji started it, the engine coming to life and making Naruto shudder. Would this car always have that affect on him? They drove the short distance across town, and Neji stopped in front of Akatsuki.

"Just come to the shop when you get off work," Naruto said. "Itachi always does, and having you there will be a nice escape from those crazies."

"I get off at five," Neji told him. "See you after work."

They shared a quick kiss good bye, and Naruto got out of the car, making his way into work. He so wasn't looking forward to today.

-OoOoOoO-

Sasuke rode the elevator to the top floor of Uchiha Corp., where his corner office was waiting for him. He stepped out of the elevator and the building was crawling with people. He dodged his subordinates left and right, just wanting to get to his office to look over the Microsoft file Neji would surely have waiting for him. Sure enough, just as his office came into view, he saw Neji leaning against the door, file in hand. He had a smug look on his face. He was obviously pleased with himself about something, and Sasuke wasn't looking forward to the conversation he was about to have.

Sasuke unlocked his office door and ushered Neji inside, closing the door tightly behind them. He slid into his chair behind his desk and Neji handed him the file in hand.

"You obviously want to say something, Neji," he sighed. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," Neji smirked. "I just couldn't help but notice _someone_ looking a tad green over coffee this morning."

"What are you implying?" Sasuke gulped, feeling his face heat up.

"Just so you know," Neji drawled, "the only person you're fooling is Naruto. Everyone else can see you're in love with him. Even _Deidara_ warned me to keep an eye on Naruto when you're around."

"I assure you I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come _off_ it, Sasuke!" Neji exclaimed. "I know you came in this morning. I was awake. And then I saw the look on your face when we came into the kitchen."

"Okay, fine," Sasuke snapped, getting irritated that this smug bastard seemed to know everything. "I love him. I always have. So what?"

"Why haven't you made a move?" Neji wanted to know.

"We have a great friendship," Sasuke sighed, unsure of why he was sharing all this with Neji. "Love... complicates things."

"Well now you're fucked," Neji informed him, "because after tonight, you'll have to pry Naruto from my cold, lifeless fingers."

"Is that a _challenge, _Hyuuga?" Sasuke spat, fixing the man before him with a signature Uchiha glare.

Neji was seemingly unfazed.

"Take it however you want, _Uchiha,_" he drawled, leaning over and putting his palms on Sasuke's desk. "Just keep in mind that you set us up in the first place, and Naruto's falling for me. Fast."

With that said, Neji turned on his heel and strode out the door, leaving Sasuke alone with his thoughts. So Neji had challenged him. Neji had seen through his facade and called him out on it. What was Sasuke's next move? Did he accept Neji's challenge and try to take what he thought was rightfully his in the first place? Or did he ignore his feelings and allow Naruto the happiness he, Sasuke, would never have? It was a difficult decision, and his instinct was telling him that confessing his feelings to the dobe would only complicate things. Why ruin a lifelong friendship for possible rejection? Naruto was happy with Neji. Maybe, if things didn't work out between them, Sasuke would make his move. But until then, he just wanted to see the man he loved happy. Even if that meant it was with somebody else.

-OoOoOoO-

Naruto couldn't concentrate. This new revelation that Sasuke was, in fact, in love with him, had him reeling. What should he do? Two days ago, if he had found out Sasuke was harboring feelings for him, he wouldn't have hesitated in taking what he wanted. Now, though... Now he had Neji, and he was finally finding some sort of happiness. He couldn't help but grin every time he thought of Neji, and he knew he was falling hard. What did he want more? Neji or Sasuke? What he had said to Neji this morning was true. He wanted to try. It was Sasuke's fault he was so angst-ridden in the first place, wasn't it? Why should he give in to Sasuke now? Sasuke, he decided, would just have to wait. Naruto wanted to know where this relationship with Neji would lead. And if Sasuke truly wanted to be with him, he'd have to prove it.

All day, Naruto kept his eyes on the clock. Time seemed to be dragging by, and Naruto couldn't be bothered by his co-workers' antics today. He was on edge all day, unable to drag his mind from the fantasies plaguing him. Tonight was the night. He would finally get what he'd been wanting since the second he met Neji. He shuddered internally, just thinking about it. He looked up from his sketch pad briefly, coming eye to eye with Deidara.

"Are you even listening to me, un?" He was asking.

"Sorry," Naruto said, "I've been kinda zoning off all day, haven't I?"

"I'll say," Konan chimed in. "You're thinking about Neji, aren't you?"

"I'm _always_ thinking about Neji anymore," Naruto said, going back to his sketch book.

Konan and Deidara shared a look and left Naruto alone. Naruto's text tone went off and he scrambled for his phone, pulling it out of his pocket and hurriedly unlocking the screen, smiling when he saw Neji's name come up on the screen. _Bringing you lunch,_ it said, and just as he went to text Neji back, the door to the shop opened to reveal Neji, bento box in hand. Naruto set his sketch pad on the counter and Neji walked over to him, setting his lunch down on the counter in front of him.

"Thanks," Naruto said, and Neji kissed him.

Neji sat down next to him and they ate together, stealing the occasional glance at one another. When they finished eating, Neji picked up Naruto's sketch pad, flipping through it, admiring Naruto's drawings.

"You should draw me a tattoo," Neji finally said.

"You want a tattoo?" Naruto asked.

"Why not?" Neji said. "You're extremely talented, and I've always kinda wanted one. I just never trusted anyone enough to do it."

"Well I'm honored that you would trust me enough."

"I've gotta get back," Neji sighed, standing. "Sasuke has been overloading me with work today. Bastard."

"I'll see you when you get off," Naruto said as he, too, stood. He kissed Neji tenderly, and Neji brought his hand up to Naruto's face.

"I can't wait for tonight," Neji whispered, locking eyes with Naruto.

"Me either," Naruto admitted. "I've been thinking about it all day."

"So have I," Neji said, turning to walk out of the shop.

Naruto let him walk away, and sighed as the door shut behind Neji.

"So what happens tonight, un?" Deidara wanted to know.

Naruto rolled his eyes. Of course Deidara had been eavesdropping.

"Sex," Naruto answered simply.

"Fuck yeah!" Deidara exclaimed. "You _need_ to get laid, un. You've been too uptight the past few weeks."

"Well tonight's the night," Naruto said, smiling. He dove back into his sketch pad and stayed there until five. He kept glancing up at the door, trying to not look too eager. Soon enough, the door opened and Neji and Itachi walked in together. Itachi made a bee-line for his blond and pulled him out of his chair, sweeping him into a hungry kiss. Deidara visibly melted into the touch, groaning into the kiss.

"Are they always like that?" Neji whispered to Naruto.

"Yeah," Naruto whispered in return. "Itachi may be a horrible asshole, but he's completely in love with Deidara. They've been together for years. Since high school, actually."

"I can hear every word you're saying, Naruto," Itachi said as he broke off the kiss.

"It's not like I said anything you didn't already know," Naruto snapped back. "Asshole."

Itachi quirked a brow at him and turned his attention back to Deidara. Itachi sat in Deidara's chair, and Deidara quickly sat down on his lap, snuggling into Itachi, and Itachi actually smiled, a rare sight on his usually stoic face.

Naruto shook his head and looked at Neji, who couldn't take his eyes off of Itachi's smile. Nobody was safe from the Uchiha charm, it seemed. Not even Neji. Naruto took Neji's hand in his and smiled sweetly at his boyfriend. Neji smiled back and squeezed his hand, silent confirmation that they were thinking about the same thing: tonight. Naruto grabbed him by the tie and kissed him, hard. He couldn't stop his heart from racing in anticipation, and he wanted Neji feeling exactly what he was.

"I've never been so anxious for anything in my life," Neji confessed quietly.

"I know how you feel," Naruto agreed.

Soon they were closing up shop and everyone was leaving together. Naruto and Neji walked back to the Uchiha Corp. parking deck hand in hand, and quickly found the car. They got in wordlessly, and took off, driving in the opposite direction of Naruto and Sasuke's apartment.

"Uhm," Naruto began, "where are we going?"

"I need to stop at my place to get clothes for tomorrow," Neji explained.

They drove quite a few miles out of the city, to a quiet neighborhood. Neji pulled into a driveway and put the car in park. Naruto got out of the car and got a good look at Neji's house. It was sizeable, and the architecture was a beautiful combination of modern and traditional Japanese style. They walked up the driveway and up to the front door. Neji put his key in the lock and swung the door open, stepping inside and flipping on the hall light.

"Shoes off," Neji instructed as he toed off his shoes at the door. Naruto followed suit and they walked inside the large house, Neji leading the way. Neji slid open his bedroom door and walked inside, Naruto following closely behind. The bedroom was huge, with a bed big enough for four people. Everything was in its rightful place, and the bed was meticulously made. Naruto was in awe of Neji's beautiful home, and suddenly felt embarassed by his own shabby apartment.

"How did you afford this house?" Naruto finally asked.

"Uchiha Corp. pays me well," Neji answered simply, looking through his closet for clothes.

"Why do Sasuke and I not have a house like this?" Naruto wondered out loud.

"I've been wondering the same thing, actually," Neji said. "He makes a lot more than I do, and Fugaku is even planning on giving him his own branch of the company. He's loaded, in case you didn't know. It baffles me that you two are still living in an apartment. He must be saving up for something really special."

"Or maybe I'm holding him back," Naruto said dejectedly.

"I seriously doubt that," Neji said. "You should know by now that Sasuke doesn't let anything hold him back. I'm sure he has a good reason. Now let's get back. He's probably wondering where the hell we are."

"So can we come back here after dinner?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, no," Neji chuckled. "I want Sasuke to hear _everything_ tonight."

"Sounds like you're trying to make him jealous," Naruto commented.

"Maybe," Neji shrugged. "Or maybe I just want to rub it in his face that I have you and he doesn't."

"That would be the definition of making him jealous."

They slipped their shoes back on and walked out the front door, Neji locking it behind him. They got back in the car and took off, driving toward the apartment. Naruto texted Sasuke to let him know they were on their way, and after a short drive through the city, they pulled up in front of the apartment. Naruto and Neji made their way up the staircase together, and Naruto turned the knob and they walked inside. The smell of dinner assaulted their noses, and Sasuke met them in the foyer.

"Dinner is ready," he said curtly, and Naruto and Neji exchanged a look.

They all made their way to the rarely-used dining room and sat at the table. There were four helpings of shepherd's pie on the table, and Naruto was practically drooling. He looked at Sasuke expectantly, and Sasuke smirked at him.

"Dig in," Sasuke finally said, and Naruto wasted no time. He shoveled the food in his mouth unceremoniously, while everyone else ate with a little more dignity.

"So what exactly is shepherd's pie?" Neji asked.

"Ground beef, condensed cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms, corn, mashed potatoes, and a shit ton of cheese," Sasuke answered.

"It's really good," Neji commented.

"It's my favorite," Naruto said with a full mouth.

"You have no class, dobe," Sasuke glared. "Swallow before trying to talk."

Naruto jumped as he felt a hand squeeze his crotch. He looked over at Neji, who chuckled quietly, but didn't remove his hand. After two more helpings of shepherd's pie, Naruto was stuffed. He groaned as he put his fork down on his plate, and Neji shook his head at him.

"How do you plan on having sex if you can't even move?" Neji asked.

"We still need to clean up before we can get down to the fun stuff," Naruto answered. "Sasuke and Gaara cooked, so we will be cleaning up."

"Okay," Neji said, getting up from the table and clearing his and Naruto's plates. Naruto took Sasuke and Gaara's plates in the kitchen and rinsed them off. Neji filled the sink with hot water while Naruto put the leftovers in the fridge. They washed the dishes together, stealing quick kisses over the sink. When they finished washing the dishes, Naruto and Neji dried their hands and went into the empty living room.

"Looks like Sasuke and Gaara already went to bed," Naruto said, grinning at Neji suggestively. "You ready for this?"

Neji brought his nose right up to Naruto's and kissed him deeply.

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life," he responded, and they made their way to the bedroom.

Neji pushed Naruto into the bedroom and slammed the door. No sock would be needed on the doorknob tonight. The entire apartment complex would know what they were doing by the end of the night, and Naruto knew Sasuke wouldn't dare disturb what was about to happen. He would save his knock goodnight until all the chaos died down, but right now, he_ needed_ Neji. Some primal force Naruto hadn't known existed until this moment urged him forward, and he pulled Neji in for a desperate kiss that had both men's knees weakening considerably. Naruto hurriedly unbuttoned Neji's shirt, and he shrugged off the garment, letting it fall to the floor at their feet. Neji broke off the kiss briefly to pull Naruto's shirt above his head. He ran his hands up Naruto's bare arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Naruto unfastened Neji's belt and undid his pants, slipping them and his boxers down his legs, freeing Neji's erection. Neji stepped out of the pants and boxers and let himself be pushed to the bed. He slid into the bed and pushed the covers off to the side. Naruto stood back and admired his lover's naked form on his bed a moment before shedding the remainder of his clothes.

Naruto climbed into bed between Neji's legs and traced kisses up his torso, his lips finally finding Neji's. He opened the drawer of his bedside table and reached inside, searching for the lube. Instead his hand found something he hadn't even considered. He broke off the kiss and looked down at Neji.

"Do we need condoms?"

"I'm clean," Neji assured him, "and I trust you. Let's just do this the way we both want to."

Naruto nodded silently and continued to search for the lube. His hand finally found the bottle and he pulled it out of the drawer. He settled himself between Neji's legs and opened the bottle, dribbling some of the slippery liquid on his fingers. He spread Neji's legs and positioned two fingers at his entrance. He locked eyes with his boyfriend and slowly eased the two fingers past the ring of muscle. Neji sighed and rested his head on the pillow. Naruto slowly moved his fingers in and out, scissoring them and stretching Neji. Neji let out a breathy whimper, and Naruto culred his fingers, finding Neji's prostate on the first try. Neji moaned and Naruto felt his heart leap in his chest. He kept his eyes trained on Neji's face, and he saw complete submission etched into Neji's features.

"You're beautiful," Naruto whispered as he added a third finger, and Neji writhed under his touch.

"I'm ready," Neji whispered in return, and Naruto slipped his fingers out of Neji, slicking his erection with the lube and lifting Neji's legs over his shoulders, lining himself up with Neji's waiting hole.

"All at once," Neji gulped.

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."

"It'll hurt regardless," Neji said, brushing Naruto's cheek. "But it'll be worth it."

Naruto caught Neji's lips as he sheathed himself inside, swallowing Neji's cry of pain. He wiped a tear from Neji's eye and held his lower body completely still, letting Neji's body adjust to the intrusion.

"Move," Neji breathed shakily, and Naruto moved his hips slowly, gently thrusting into Neji.

"So tight," Naruto panted as Neji moaned and mewled beneath him. Naruto knew he was dragging against Neji's prostate with every thrust, and he kept his pace slow and languid, torturing Neji with every movement.

"More," Neji pleaded, and Naruto happily complied, pulling out further and rocking his hips faster. Neji let out a cry of pleasure, making Naruto's heart skip a beat. He let Neji's legs fall to the bed and leaned over his lover, bringing their lips together in a searing kiss. Naruto wrapped his arm around Neji's waist as leverage and ruthlessly thrust his hips forward. Neji cried out in ecstasy and Naruto thrust impossibly harder, letting out his own throaty groan. Neji's muscles were clamping down on him with every thrust, driving Naruto completely insane. Their bodies were moving in unison now, Neji meeting every thrust by bucking his hips wildly. They had both lost all abandon and were solely focussing on the sheer pleasure coursing through their veins. Naruto briefly wondered if Sasuke could ever make him feel this good, and decided in the same moment that he didn't care. For now, he had what he wanted,

"I love you," he blurted out, and Neji's eyes shot open.

He stared at Naruto for a moment before saying. "No you don't. Not yet. But you will."

"Come with me, Neji," Naruto said breathlessly, tugging at Neji's neglected erection. After a few more wild thrusts, both of them were tipping their heads back and crying out in bliss, riding out their simultaneous orgasms.

They stayed like that for awhile, both trying to recover from the most intense orgasms of their lives. Once he regained his composure, Naruto wordlessly slipped out of Neji and collapsed beside him, both of them drenched in sweat. They laid in silence for awhile, slowly coming down from their highs.

"I meant what I said," Naruto said at last, effectively breaking the silence between them.

"I think you _think _you meant what you said," Neji replied. "You're not in love with me yet, Naruto. But I will make you fall in love with me."

"If you say so," Naruto shrugged. "I think you're just too scared to admit that we can fall this fast."

"Maybe," Neji confessed. "But I have to admit, that was definitely the best sex I've ever had."

"Likewise," Naruto agreed.

"Can we do it again?" Neji wondered, and Naruto kissed him.

"We can do it all night if you'd like," Naruto replied. "I have the day off tomorrow."

"And I'm taking one of my vacation days," Neji decided.

-OoOoOoO-

Sasuke was sprawled out naked on his large bed, Gaara's fingers working magic inside him. He moaned as Gaara brushed up against that glorious bundle of nerves deep within Sasuke, and he found himself distracted by the sounds of Naruto and Neji's lovemaking in the next room.

"Not to worry," Gaara purred as he added another finger and thrust them in and out of Sasuke, "I'll be making you scream like that in no time."

"Then fuck me and prove it," Sasuke growled, desperate to drown out the sounds coming from Naruto's room.

Sasuke felt Gaara's fingers slide out of him, and they were quickly replaced by Gaara's ever-growing arousal. He pushed himself deep inside Sasuke, making the raven cry out. Gaara leaned over him and tugged at the back of his hair, exposing Sasuke's pale throat. Gaara sunk his teeth into the heated flesh, pulling wanton moans from his dark-haired lover. Gaara sucked on his neck vigorously, leaving an angry purple mark when he released Sasuke's neck. Sasuke wrapped his arms around Gaara, digging his nails into the man's back and dragging them across his skin. Gaara was thrusting savagely inside Sasuke, and Sasuke was crying out in earnest. With every deep thrust, Gaara was hitting Sasuke's prostate dead on, and Sasuke was practically sobbing with pleasure. His erection was trapped between their bodies, and each thrust was creating a glorious friction along its length.

"Aah!" Sasuke shouted as one particularly hard thrust had him seeing white.

"Yes, Sasuke," Gaara panted, pounding him even harder into the mattress. "Fucking scream for me."

Sasuke screwed his eyes shut as Gaara slammed into his sweet spot one last time, bringing Sasuke to his screaming climax. He was limp on the bed as he released, splattering both of their torsos with his seed. Gaara was soon to follow, his own release coming in short gasps and erratic thrusts.

They panted heavily in the afterglow of their orgasms, and Gaara took the roll of toilet paper from the bedside table, going to work cleaning them up before bed. Sasuke just laid there, listening to Naruto and Neji through the wall. Would they ever get tired? They'd been at it for what seemed like hours now, and Sasuke was starting to get frustrated. It was almost like Neji was intentionally taunting him, which, Sasuke decided, was probably true. Neji was the only person who knew the truth, and right now, he had Naruto exactly where he wanted him.

Sasuke curled up on his side, with Gaara curled around him, determined to get some sleep. He pounded on the wall, trying to pull Naruto's attention to him for just a second, and Naruto's quick reply was punctuated by a particularly loud moan from Neji. Damn him. Sasuke closed his eyes and slowly drifted into a restless sleep, sure to be awoken later by the animalistic noises coming from Naruto's room.

**A/N: About the shepherd's pie: I know every family who makes it has a different recipe. This particular recipe is my family's. I ate it all the time growing up, and now I make it for my family. Okay, anyway! Reviews keep me writing, so get to it! ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Yup, you guessed it. Oh, and I **_**definitely**_** don't own MSI or Dir en Grey.**

**Warnings: Sasuke angst. Lemon. Brotherly fluff.**

**A/N: Finally, another update! I know I've been making you wait, my loves, but you'll live, because you have chapter 4 now! Read on!**

-OoOoOoO-

It was a very pissed off and jealous Sasuke who woke up the next morning and got ready for work. But he didn't let Gaara see it. He wouldn't give Neji the satisfaction. Even when he opened his phone to find a text from Neji, sent in the middle of the night, informing him he'd be taking one of his vacation days, Sasuke's resolve didn't falter. _Fine,_ Sasuke thought bitterly. _At least I won't have to put up with that smug bastard at work._ He unplugged his phone from the charger and put it in his pocket, making his way with Gaara to the front door. They kissed awhile, before parting ways, but Sasuke's heart wasn't in it like it usually was.

The morning meeting at Uchiha Corp. passed in a blur, and Sasuke trudged to his office, fully intending to immerse himself in paperwork so he could just fucking forget about the past 24 hours. As he opened a new file on his desktop computer, there was a small knock on Sasuke's office door.

"Enter," he said, and the door slowly swung open.

"_Otouto,"_ Itachi said quietly as he entered Sasuke's office, and Sasuke looked up. "Wanna talk?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Itachi," Sasuke sighed. He'd been wondering how long he could hide this from his brother, but Itachi, always the observant one, seemed to instinctively know when Sasuke was having a bad day.

"I think there is, Sasuke," Itachi pressed, and Sasuke felt his resolve finally start to crumble.

"It's this whole thing with Naruto and Neji," Sasuke finally admitted, burying his face in his hands. "I thought I could handle it, but it's pretty fucking obvious that I can't."

"Because you're in love with Naruto," Itachi guessed.

"Am I really that transparent?" Sasuke wondered out loud.

"To me, yes," Itachi smirked. "But only because I've been in your situation. When Deidara and Sasori started dating in high school, I snapped. I'm sure you remember." Sasuke nodded. "So I did what I had to do. I kicked the living shit out of Sasori, and took Deidara as my own. Just tell him, _otouto,_ and I promise, everything will work out."

"But he's happy, _aniki,_" Sasuke argued, feeling tears welling up in the back of his eyes. "What kind of best friend would I be if I ruined that?"

"Have you ever considered he may be happier with you?" Itachi asked.

"Have you _seen_ him around Neji?" Sasuke countered.

"I have," Itachi said, nodding, "but I've also seen him around you. You're both different around each other, _otouto._ You compliment one another like Deidara and I do. Even if you don't say anything to him now, I promise you, what's meant to be will always find a way."

"You mean that, _aniki?" _Sasuke asked, eyes wide with hope.

"Foolish _otouto,"_ Itachi chuckled, shaking his head and poking Sasuke's forehead. "Of course I mean in. Chin up. Father's giving you this branch of Uchiha Corp. in less than a week. You'll be successful, and filthy rich. _And _the youngest CEO in the country. And soon, you'll have your blond. It's only a matter of time. After all, we Uchiha men always get what we want."

Sasuke smiled as Itachi left his office. Maybe he was right. Itachi always had a way of showing Sasuke a glimmer of hope when it seemed there was no hope to be found.

-OoOoOoO-

Naruto woke slowly. Judging by the light coming in the window, he deduced it was early- to mid-afternoon. Neji was still asleep, curled into a ball against his chest. Naruto carefully smoothed Neji's hair out of his face and planted a tender kiss on his forehead. After the night they'd had last night, he wouldn't be surprised if Neji slept all day. Slowly, however, Neji stirred, his eyelids fluttering open at the soft touch. He looked up at Naruto and smiled serenely, snuggling even further into the blond's chest.

"I'm sorry," Naruto whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"No it's okay," Neji yawned. "I'm sticky as fuck. I need a shower."

"Let's go then," Naruto said, jumping out of bed.

Neji sat up slowly, wincing slightly.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked concernedly.

"Just a little sore," Neji shrugged, standing up. "Nothing I can't handle."

Naruto slowly pulled Neji into a gentle and tender kiss, and they stood in the bedroom awhile, gazing into each other's eyes.

"I love you," Naruto said again, determined to make Neji say it back, or at the very least, believe him.

Neji rolled his eyes.

"It's just too soon," He sighed, and he led Naruto to the bathroom.

They made love again in the shower, slowly and sensually, neither of them able to get enough of the other. Naruto wondered how Neji could deny his feelings. It was obvious he and Neji were quickly falling in love with each other. Was he scared? It made sense. Neji probably still felt threatened by Sasuke, and there was nothing Naruto could say to quell his fears. All he could do is continue to give Neji great sex and hope that soon Neji would admit what Naruto already knew. The concert was coming up in just a few short days' time, and Naruto was determined to get Neji to admit he was in love with him.

-OoOoOoO-

Despite his best efforts not to fall, Neji knew he was already in love with Naruto. He also knew, in the end, he'd get hurt. However, he wasn't willing to tell Naruto all this yet. He wanted to keep Naruto in the dark for as long as possible. After all, there was still the matter of Sasuke to deal with, though Neji's display at work yesterday may very well have taken care of _that _obstacle. And he knew Sasuke had probably been fuming this morning when he read Neji's text. Maybe he wouldn't have to deal with Sasuke. Naruto had said Sasuke wasn't stupid enough to get in the way of his happiness. Neji just hoped Naruto was right. Deep down, he knew he couldn't compete with Sasuke for Naruto's heart. Naruto was devoted to Sasuke, that much was certain. But maybe, just maybe, Naruto would come to realize that Neji could make him just as happy-and maybe even happier- than Sasuke.

After their shower, Neji helped Naruto change his sheets on his bed, and they climbed back in bed to spend the rest of the day in each other's arms.

"So summer's coming up," Neji began. "My family owns a vacation home in the country, and I still have three more vacation days to use up. You should see if you can get some time off work and we can take a nice, quiet vacation together."

"That sounds great," Naruto smiled, putting his arm around Neji and pulling him close.

Neji put his head on Naruto's bare chest and snuggled closer. He trailed his fingertips up Naruto's sculptured abs, and Naruto bit his bottom lip. Neji's fingers trailed daringly lower, ghosting over Naruto's happy trail, and coming to rest on Naruto's flaccid length. He started stroking Naruto slowly, and Naruto chuckled.

"I don't know how you can even _think_ about another round," he said, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry," Neji blushed. "I just can't get enough of you."

He checked the time on his phone.

"If we get started now," Neji said, "we should be just finishing up when Sasuke gets home, and then I'll go home for you and Sasuke to talk."

Naruto pinned Neji to the bed and hovered over him for a moment, considering this. Finally, he grinned that beautiful grin, and bent down to kiss Neji. They melded together as one, and Neji knew that he had won.

-OoOoOoO-

The first thing Sasuke noticed when he pulled up out front of the apartment complex was that Neji's car was still there. Surely they couldn't have slept _all day._ Sasuke hesitantly climbed the stairs to his and Naruto's apartment. He took a deep breath when he got to the door and unlocked it, stepping inside carefully. The same sounds from last night assaulted his ears almost instantaneously, and he scowled. _Again? Really?_ This had to be some kind of fucking record.

"I'm home!" he called throughout the apartment, hoping Naruto would hear him over Neji's inhuman noises.

Tonight, Sasuke decided, was a whiskey night. He went to the kitchen and pulled his bottle of Jack Daniel's from the cupboard and filled a glass up half-way. Then he got the two-liter of Coke out of the fridge and filled the remainder of the glass. He took his bottles to the living room and went back to the kitchen to retrieve his glass. He sat down on the couch and pulled his book from his briefcase, opening it where he left off.

Just then, Naruto's bedroom door opened and Neji stepped out, wearing only a pair of low-slung pajama bottoms. Sasuke silently willed himself to disappear into the couch, but of course, Neji spotted him. And his bottle.

"Careful," Neji tsked at him. "Your Jack Daniel's is giving you away."

Sasuke found himself wondering how pissed Naruto would be if he gave his boyfriend a black eye. The idea was becoming more and more appealing by the second. Instead, he downed a big gulp of his drink and narrowed his eyes at Neji.

"I may just have to take you up on that challenge," Sasuke said quietly, taking another drink.

Neji's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he smirked at Sasuke.

"Don't bother," Neji said, just as quietly as Sasuke. "I've already won."

This time it was Sasuke's eyes that went wide. What the hell did _that_ mean? Just what happened between the two of them today? Naruto walked out of his room at that moment, looking positively _breathtaking_ with his post-sex glow, and wrapped his arms around Neji's waist from behind. He buried his face in Neji's hair, and Neji locked eyes with Sasuke, as if to say, "See what I mean?"

Suddenly Sasuke's drink wasn't strong enough. He tipped back the glass, finishing it off, and mixed another, this time more Jack than Coke. Naruto pulled his face away from Neji's hair and looked at Sasuke.

"You never drink," he noted.

"Rough day at work," Sasuke lied.

"Yeah," Neji sighed, "Sasuke just can't hack it without me there."

The urge to hit Neji came back, harder this time, and Sasuke took a big gulp of his drink, hoping Neji would just _go the fuck home_ soon. He wanted to find out from Naruto what happened today. In private. Neji seemed to understand, and for once, had pity on Sasuke.

"I'd better get home," he said, turning to Naruto. "I have laundry I need to do."

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Naruto asked sadly.

"Of course," Neji smiled. "I'll bring you lunch again."

They made their way back into the bedroom and emerged again a short time later. Neji was wearing one of Naruto's favorite tee-shirts, and Sasuke took yet another long drink from his glass. Naruto and Neji walked to the door together. They stood at the door for a long moment, just staring at each other. Finally, Neji pulled Naruto in for a slow, deep kiss. The kiss broke Sasuke's heart little by little, but he just couldn't look away. He downed the rest of his drink quickly and went to mix himself another.

"I love you," he heard Naruto say, and his heart dropped into his stomach.

He opened the bottle of Jack and put the whole thing to his lips. Whiskey night indeed. He grimaced at the strong taste, but continued to chug. Now he knew what Neji had been talking about. It hadn't even been a week since they'd met, and Naruto was already busting out the l-word? Fuuuuuuuuck.

Neji said something Sasuke couldn't hear, but he could only imagine. He put the bottle to his lips again and chugged. He was feeling deliciously lightheaded already, and his lips were starting to go numb. Maybe he and Naruto could polish off the bottle tonight, like they used to do in college, before shit got complicated. Sasuke sighed, then he heard the front door open and close. So Neji was _finally_ gone.

Naruto flopped down on the couch next to Sasuke and ripped the bottle of whiskey from his hands. He put the bottle to his lips and drank, slow and deep, his Adam's apple bobbing as he drank.

"We're finishing this bottle tonight," Naruto wheezed as he pulled the bottle away from his lips.

"You read my mind," Sasuke smiled, taking the bottle back and drinking.

They passed the bottle back and forth, and soon, both their heads were swimming pleasantly.

"So you love him?" Sasuke slurred as he took another drink.

"Yeah," Naruto sighed, looking down at his lap. "Believe me, I know how fuckin' crazy it sounds. Like, I haven't even known him a week yet. What the fuck is _wrong_ with me, Sasuke?"

"Nothing," Sasuke said, shrugging and looking into the bottle of whiskey in his lap. "If you love him, you love him. You deserve to be happy."

"We're going on vacation this summer," Naruto said, looking over at Sasuke.

"Where?" Sasuke asked, trying to sound interested.

"His family's vacation house in the country," Naruto answered.

"It's probably beautiful," Sasuke told him. "The Hyuuga's are a very influential family. Uchiha Corp. does a lot of business with them."

"Really?" Naruto asked, amazed. "Why does Neji work for Uchiha Corp. if he could be in your position at his own family's company?"

"He's the Hyuuga rebel," Sasuke answered simply. "His uncle, who owns Byakugan Industries, offered him the partner position, but Neji turned it down. He said he didn't want that kind of pressure."

"He won't say it back," Naruto said suddenly, taking the bottle and tipping it back.

Sasuke just stared at him.

"He-He won't? Why not?"

"He says it's too soon," Naruto explained. "But I can see it in his eyes when he looks at me. And I can hear it in his voice when we make love. He loves me, Sasuke. I just know it. Why won't he tell me?"

Sasuke smirked. _Because he still feels intimidated by me,_ he thought smugly.

"I don't know, Naruto," he said instead. "So how's the sex?"

"The best I've ever had," Naruto answered simply, taking another long drink from the bottle. "I never imagined sex could be so... rewarding."

"Well," Sasuke sighed, "when it's with the right person..."

He took the bottle of whiskey from Naruto and chugged. He wasn't drunk enough to listen to this. All he could think about was Naruto and Neji, locked in an intimate embrace, sweating, panting, moaning. Fuck. Why was he imagining that? Hearing it last night and today was bad enough.

He rubbed his head. He and Naruto were drunk now, and it was starting to feel like college again, only slightly more awkward. He wondered if Neji told Naruto about their conversation at work. He doubted it, considering Naruto hadn't brought it up. And besides, Neji wouldn't tell Naruto for fear that he would decide he'd rather have Sasuke. It didn't seem likely, at this point, that Naruto would choose Sasuke. To Sasuke, it seemed like Naruto had finally found The One. He just wished _he_ could be The One.

-OoOoOoO-

Naruto looked at Sasuke. He was clearly miserable. _Rough day at work, my ass, _Naruto thought. Naruto hazily wondered if he should tell Sasuke that he knew everything. He immediately decided against it. He knew it would lead to a night of drunken sex that may or may not be remembered in the morning. Either way, he didn't want that to happen. Not now. That was cheating, and Naruto wasn't a cheater. He felt bad for Sasuke. He truly did. But in all reality, Sasuke had brought this on himself. If he had just sucked up his pride and confessed his feelings in the beginning, none of this would have had to happen in the first place.

Naruto took the bottle of whiskey from Sasuke and took a long drink. It was almost gone now, and they were pleasantly shitfaced. Naruto gave the bottle back to Sasuke and he finished it off. The two-liter of Coke sat forgotten on the coffee table, perspiring and surely leaving moisture rings on the wood. Usually, it would be Sasuke to notice this, and he would hastily correct it, but he was clearly too far gone to care. His eyes were glazed over and he was swaying slightly in his seat. Naruto chuckled quietly under his breath. It had been _so_ long since he'd seen Sasuke like this. It was kinda... cute. He knew Sasuke would regret it in the morning, like always, but he wouldn't let his hangover get the better of him.

Naruto continued to stare at Sasuke, and Sasuke looked over at him lazily.

"The fuck you lookin' at, dobe?" he slurred, and Naruto smiled.

"You," Naruto slurred back, grinning. Fuck. When did he get this drunk? "Yer fuckin' cute when yer drunk, ya know that?"

Words were coming of their own free will now, and Naruto didn't know how to stop them.

"I'm not _cute_," Sasuke spat back.

"Sure ya are," Naruto giggled. _Giggled?_ Fuck. He was too drunk for this.

"I'll show _you_ cute," Sasuke growled, flinging himself at Naruto and straddling his hips. He sat there for a moment, looking hazily at Naruto, and Naruto quirked a blond brow at him. No way. Sasuke wouldn't dare. And then he did.

Before Naruto knew what was happening, Sasuke's lips were on his, and his tongue was prying Naruto's lips open. Naruto drunkenly parted his lips, meeting Sasuke's tongue with his own, and a barrage of butterflies erupted it his gut. Sasuke tasted like whiskey and regret, and he wove his fingers through Naruto's blond hair, deepening the sloppy kiss. Sasuke groaned into the kiss, and Naruto's eyes shot open. That sound sobered Naruto up considerably, and he reluctantly pushed Sasuke away.

"Please, Sasuke," he breathed shakily. "This isn't right. We both have boyfriends."

"Is that the only thing holding you back?" Sasuke wanted to know.

Naruto hesitated. Should he be honest? Yes, he decided. Honesty was a virtue.

"Yes and no," Naruto admitted. "Yes, because I've been in love with you for years, and no because I also want us to be sober for our first time." 

That seemed to hit home for Sasuke.

"I'm breaking up with Gaara," he said simply.

"Don't do that for me," Naruto pleaded. "Because I'm not breaking up with Neji. If you really want to be with me, you'll wait."

Sasuke glared at Naruto, and Naruto shrugged.

"I've been waiting around for you for years, Sasuke," Naruto confessed. "The least you can do is respect my relationship with Neji until it's over between us."

Sasuke was pissed. He silently disentangled his hands from the blond spikes and stood up from Naruto's lap, walking to his bedroom. He slammed his door behind him and Naruto sighed loudly. So it was all out in the open now. Sasuke knew about Naruto's feelings, and Naruto knew about Sasuke's. He trudged to his own room. It was time for bed. Maybe if he got some sleep, his hangover wouldn't be that bad in the morning.

He settled into bed and laid his head on the pillow. It smelled like Neji, and Naruto grinned, breathing deeply to take in the scent. He knocked on the wall and waited.

For the first time in over 15 years, Naruto's goodnight knock went unanswered. He was losing his best friend. Love certainly does complicate shit.

-OoOoOoO-

Sasuke heard Naruto's knock goodnight, but intentionally ignored it. Even being drunk, Naruto had rejected him and chose Neji. Sasuke was fucking depressed. And still drunk as fuck. He laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. The room spun all around him, and he knew he'd never be able to sleep tonight. On the bright side, however, he now knew how Naruto felt about him. He'd said he'd been waiting for Sasuke for years. Just how long had he been hiding his feelings from Sasuke?

Sasuke closed his eyes again, trying desperately to stop the spins. But to no avail. The room spun around him, and he was starting to feel sick. Shit. He jumped out of bed and quickly ran across the hall to the bathroom. He slammed the door behind him and threw himself on the floor in front of the toilet. Sasuke felt the tears welling up in his eyes as he heaved into the toilet.

The door slowly creaked open to reveal Naruto, in only his thin cotton boxers, smiling sweetly down at his best friend.

"Go away, Naruto," Sasuke managed.

"No, Sasuke," Naruto said as he got out a washcloth and ran it under the tap water. "Despite everything, you're still my best friend, and it's my duty to take care of you when you've had too much to drink."

Sasuke sat with his back against the tub and pulled his knees to his chest. He let Naruto wipe his face down with the wet washcloth. It was warm on his skin, and he looked up at Naruto with tear-filled eyes. Naruto smiled sadly at him and sighed. At last, Sasuke let the tears free. They fell down his cheeks in a silent stream, and he tried in vain to wipe them away before Naruto noticed.

"Oh, Sasuke," Naruto sighed, sitting down on the bathroom floor and pulling Sasuke into him. "Don't cry. _Please_ don't cry."

He rested Sasuke's head on his bare chest and ran his hand through Sasuke's messy hair. It was nice, and Sasuke felt himself getting sleepy. The tears were still falling, and Naruto continued to play with Sasuke's hair.

"Hey, Sasuke?" Naruto said quietly, repositioning Sasuke so he was sitting comfortably on his lap.

"Hmm?" Sasuke hummed, resting his head on Naruto's shoulder and drifting to sleep.

"I'm not going to tell Neji about what happened tonight," Naruto said finally. "But you have to promise it won't happen again."

"Promise," Sasuke murmured sleepily.

Sasuke was asleep within seconds. He didn't hear Naruto flush the toilet, and he didn't notice when Naruto picked him up, carrying him bridal-style back to his bedroom. Naruto carefully deposited Sasuke on his bed, and pulled the covers up around him. Had Sasuke been awake, he would have noticed Naruto smooth his bangs out of his face and kiss him softly on the forehead.

"Good night, Sasuke," Naruto whispered, then he silently slid out of Sasuke's room, closing the door behind him.

-OoOoOoO-

At long last, Friday had _finally _arrived. After a few awkward days between Naruto and Sasuke, the day Naruto had been waiting for had finally come. It was the day of the concert, and Naruto could barely contain his excitement. He bounced around the apartment getting ready for work in the morning, clearly irritating Sasuke all morning. He was wearing his Dir en Grey tee-shirt, as he felt he should on a day as glorious as today, and despite everything that had happened in the past few days, he was fucking _stoked._

Work was _agonizingly_ slow, though he occasionally indulged in some fangirling with Deidara throughout the day. Deidara was beyond jealous, and Naruto couldn't help but feel a little smug. He had positively the best boyfriend in the world who was taking him to the most amazing concert in the world. He was practically jumping with joy, gushing to all his clients. He knew people were probably getting annoyed with him, but for some reason he just couldn't stop himself. Like every day this week, Neji brought Naruto lunch, and they giggled like teenage girls the whole time he was there.

They had a plan. When Neji got off work, he was going to run to his house to change, and then come back to the shop until closing time. Then, they would make their way to the concert hall. It wasn't very far away, which was convenient.

For the first time all day, Naruto was sitting still. He was working on a very intricate tattoo, and Neji would be on his way back to the shop now. He was finishing the last of the shading on the tiger's claw when the shop door opened. Neji stood there, and Naruto was fucking floored. He had never seen Neji in his going-out clothes, and it was easily the sexiest thing Naruto had ever seen.

Neji's long hair was falling loose around his shoulders, and he was wearing a form-fitted tank top and low-slung skinny jeans that hugged him in just the right way. His jeans were tucked into heavy black boots, and Naruto thought he spotted a thin layer of eyeliner around Neji's eyes. He looked drop dead gorgeous, there was positively no denying that fact, and Naruto clearly wasn't the only one who noticed.

"_Damn_," Deidara said as Neji walked through the door, and Itachi quirked a brow at him. "As a man in a secure relationship with the sexiest man on Earth, can I just say that you look _fucking hot_, Neji? It's a damn shame you have to wear a shirt and tie all the time."

"No way," Naruto cut in. "I think he looks just as sexy in a tie. Well, maybe not _just_ as sexy, but still pretty damn sexy."

Naruto finished the tattoo he was working on, and his client paid and left. Now, Naruto finally had the chance to really take in Neji's appearance. That was definitely eyeliner that Naruto spotted, and Naruto couldn't stop himself.

"Eyeliner, huh?" he teased, and Neji just smirked at him.

"Noticed that, did you?" he teased back.

"Deidara's right, you know," Naruto told him. " You do look fucking hot."

"I do what I can," Neji shrugged. "Nice tee-shirt, by the way."

"Yeah," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't have any sexy going-out clothes."

"No," Neji said, "I like you in a tee-shirt and jeans. Though I like you best in nothing."

Naruto grinned and felt his face start to heat up. Neji always had that effect on him. All week, Naruto had done everything in his power to not look guilty after that night he and Sasuke finished off the enormous bottle of Jack Daniel's, and Neji seemed to be a tiny bit suspicious, but neither of them said anything. He didn't like hiding it from Neji, but he knew Neji would end up losing his job if Naruto told him that Sasuke had kissed him. He felt he knew Neji well enough to know that Neji would barge in to Sasuke's office, demand an explanation, and probably punch Sasuke in the face. Sasuke, in turn, would be forced to fire Neji, and Naruto didn't want that. So he kept his word to his best friend, and didn't tell Neji anything. It was killing him.

Naruto excitedly helped close up the shop, counting the money in the cash register and shutting down the computer system. Yahiko locked up the doors behind them as Konan shut off all the lights, and finally, it was time for the concert. Naruto bounced in his seat as Neji drove them the short distance to the concert hall. The parking lot was littered with people. After driving around for what seemed like an eternity, they finally found a place to park. They walked into the concert hall and quickly found their seats; which weren't seats, really. The first few rows of seats in the concert hall had been removed for people to stand close to the stage. The found a place to stand amongst the crowd, and anxiously waited for the concert to start.

At long last, the lights in the concert hall dimmed, and electronic music started playing from the stage. Green lazers were turned on, illuminating everything in a strange glow. The band walked on stage one by one, picking up their instruments and setting up. Jimmy Urine, the lead singer of MSI, walked on stage last, wearing an outfit remarkably similar to Neji's, the only differences being the feathered black angel wings and the sparkly rhinestone tiara atop his messy hair. He wasted no time jumping energetically around the stage, singing songs that Naruto knew all the words to.

The light show was amazing, as expected, and the band put on a phenominal show. The crowd was going absolutely wild, jumping and dancing, and Naruto felt at home in this enormous crowd of people. Neji seemed to be enjoying himself as well, and when MSI finished their set, he joined in the rest of the crowd's applause.

The wait for Dir en Grey was excruciating. Naruto and Neji kept exchanging nervous glances at each other, only to smile when they locked eyes. Neji kissed Naruto, and Naruto's head swam. At long last, the crowd erupted in applause, and Naruto looked up to see Dir en Grey taking the stage. His excitement reached a whole new level when the music started, and the band demanded a mosh pit be formed. The fans wouldn't refuse, and in no time, people were pushing and shoving each other to the gutteral growls and screams on stage.

Neji had already told Naruto that he wouldn't be taking part in any mosh pits, but Naruto just had to. He was letting loose in the mosh pit, letting out his violent side to the sound of the music, when he heard Neji's voice a few feet away. He sounded pissed about something.

"Get the fuck off me," Neji snapped, and Naruto looked up to see some random guy running his fingers through Neji's hair and cupping his crotch. Naruto saw red for a moment and closed the distance between himself and Neji in an instant. He spun the daring guy around by the shoulder and punched him hard in the jaw. There was a sickening snapping sound as his fist connected with the guy's face, and he fell to the grimy floor, unconscious.

"That's _mine,_ you son of a bitch," Naruto spat, kicking the knocked-out guy in the ribs.

"Damn, Naruto," Neji said, his voice barely audible above the music. "That was hot."

Something animalistic and raw snapped inside Naruto just then, and he pulled Neji in for a bruising kiss. Neji melted against his touch, and Naruto picked him up by the backs of his thighs. Neji wrapped his legs around Naruto's waist as Naruto pushed their way through the dense crowd, never once breaking off the kiss. Finally, Neji's back found Naruto's destination: the nearest wall. Naruto hurried to unbutton Neji's tight pants, and pulled the back down, exposing his ass to anyone who might be watching.

"Fuck," Naruto growled. "I don't have lube."

"I do," Neji panted. "Back right pocket."

Naruto grinned evilly and reached into Neji's pocket, pulling out a small packet of lube. He tore it open with his teeth and smeared some on his fingers. He pushed all three fingers into Neji at once, and Neji hissed at the intrusion. Naruto prepared Neji quickly, and slid his fingers out. Neji unzipped Naruto's jeans and they pushed them down together. Naruto hurriedly coated his erection and looked around for a second.

"People are watching, Neji," Naruto purred in his ear.

"I don't care," Neji breathed. "Let them watch. Just fuck me."

"As you wish," Naruto grinned, and shoved himself inside Neji in one quick thrust. Neji cried out, and more people started to look. Who knew Neji would be an exhibitionist? He was just full of surprises.

Neji tugged at Naruto's hair as he thrust deep inside Neji. Neji was mush against the wall, a mess of wanton moans and needy, throaty growls. Naruto grabbed his hips and pulled him down into the thrust, and Neji's cries were slowly becoming louder than the music.

"I fucking love you, Naruto," Neji declared between moans, his back arching off the wall.

"It's about fucking time," Naruto snarled, and he kissed Neji hard on the lips. "I fucking love you, too."

Naruto pulled Neji's rock-hard erection from his jeans, neither of them caring at all that they had acquired a small audience. Naruto pumped Neji in time with his thrusts, and Neji's breathing was getting shaky.

"N-Naruto, I'm-Aah!" Neji released, hot and sticky, over Naruto's hand, and Naruto's release followed shortly after.

Naruto slipped himself out of Neji, and they quickly righted their clothes. Neji unceremoniously dragged Naruto towards the exit.

"But, the concert," Naruto prostested.

"I don't care about the concert," Neji said. "I want you in my bed."

Neji's word was clearly law, and they made their way to the car quickly, hand in hand. Neji sped through the city, and even through his own neighborhood, seemingly desperate to get Naruto to his house. They pulled in the driveway, and Neji practically pulled Naruto from the car and threw him inside the house. They tore each other's clothes from their bodies as they made their way to the bedroom, kissing the entire way.

"Can I top?" Neji asked breathlessly as they got to the bedroom. Fuck. Naruto had been hoping this topic of conversation never came up. He had promised himself a long time ago that if he ever, _ever_ bottomed, it would be with Sasuke. And _only_ Sasuke. Quite frankly, he was scared as hell. And his silence seemed to say it all. Neji quickly averted his eyes. "I see," he said quietly.

Fuck no. Naruto wasn't going to let this ruin tonight. He grabbed Neji's chin and forced him to look him in the eyes.

"Neji, I love you," he said, "I'm just... not ready for that yet. Ask again later, and my answer may be different. I absolutely love the sex we already have. It gives me a sense of satisfaction I've never felt before, and I just can't fucking get enough of you. I love you _so much_, Neji. And to be honest, that scares the hell out of me because this is _not_ the way I thought my life was going to go, but I'm glad I have you. Let me make love to you. All night. Until I have to go to work."

Neji smiled. Success.

"Okay, Naruto," he said quietly, then he narrowed his eyes dangerously at Naruto. "Give it to me good," he purred.

And Naruto did. All night, on every surface in Neji's house, they had sex. They kept at it until the sun started to come up, and they finally collapsed, exhausted, on Neji's huge bed. They both set alarms on their phones (they _had_ left Naruto's car sitting outside of Akatsuki, so Neji would have to drive him to work in the morning), and curled up next to each other, trying to get a few hours' worth of sleep before they had to leave.

**A/N: Okay, so I have to apologize for a few things: First and foremost, I know the concert wasn't super descriptive, and I am sorry. But it was brought to my attention that it could possibly be copyright infringement to go into a ton of detail about concerts. I don't know about any truth behind that, so if you know for sure, just leave it in a review. ^_^**

**Second, I know the end of this chapter was mildly abrupt, and I apologize for that, too. It was getting really **_**really**_** long, and I was honestly getting kinda sick and tired of the length of this chapter.**

**Finally, I know I haven't updated in awhile. But in my defense, I've been busy finishing up Death Note (I know, I know, I should have watched it a **_**loooong**_** time ago, but I just got around to it. And I fucking LOVED IT. If you haven't watched Death Note, do it.), and I was catching up on The Big Bang Theory (easily my favorite sitcom now. The theme song is catchy as hell and I cannot get it out of my head to save my life.) **

**Reviews keep me writing, loves.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Ya know, I'm getting really tired of saying it...**

**Warnings: Not **_**quite**_** a lemon, but still pretty damn sour, if I do say so myself.**

**A/N: This was supposed to be a smut-free chapter full of best friend fluff, but **_**someone**_** who shall remain unnamed had other ideas. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! R&R**

-OoOoOoO-

No matter how hard he tried, Naruto just couldn't seem to stay awake. After six cups of coffee this morning, he had been jittery. Now, however, it was almost his lunch break, and he was crashing hard. He knew that all his co-workers noticed. How could they not? He was falling asleep at his station! Neji was so lucky... That bastard was probably cuddled up in his bed zonked out... Naruto didn't even know why he was here. It hadn't been busy today, and he didn't have any appointments scheduled. He rubbed his eyes yet again and yawned loudly.

"Naruto," Yahiko sighed, "go home and get some sleep. Come in after lunch tomorrow and you can finish today's shift then."

"Mmmkay," Naruto murmured, and he gathered his things and headed to his car.

The drive home was dangerous. Even with his windows all the way down and his stereo blasting, Naruto was still falling asleep. He parked outside the apartment and sighed deeply. He climbed the steps slowly, texting Neji on his way up.

_Got sent home early for falling asleep at my station. I'll text you when I wake up. Xoxo._

Naruto unlocked the door and stepped inside. Something wasn't right. He couldn't quite place his finger on what it was, but something _definitely_ wasn't right. When he walked into the living room, he found out why, and had to hold back his laughter.

Sasuke was passed out on the couch, and the coffee table was positively littered with empty pints of ice cream. He counted the empty containers, and couldn't believe Sasuke could consume so much ice cream. The man didn't even like sweets! He looked back at Sasuke, who was clutching a spoon in his hand. His face was a mess, with dried ice cream around his lips. God, Sasuke was such a woman sometimes, drowning his sorrows in expensive ice cream.

Naruto crouched down next to his best friend and shook him gently.

"Sasuke," he said quietly. "C'mon, Sasuke, let's get you to bed."

"What are you doing home so early?" Sasuke murmured.

"Yahiko sent me home for falling asleep at my station," Naruto said, pulling Sasuke off the couch. "Here, put the spoon down. What are you doing on the couch?"

"I don't know..." Sasuke said thoughtfully. "Last thing I remember is eating ice cream and reading."

"Oh, you ate ice cream, all right," Naruto chuckled. "Sixteen whole pints. I don't know how you didn't explode."

"Hey, Naruto," Sasuke yawned.

"Yeah, Sasuke?"

"I'm sorry I've been making things so weird between us," he said sheepishly. "I miss being your best friend."

Naruto smiled.

"It's okay," he assured him. "You'll always be my best friend. No matter what."

"Good," Sasuke smirked. "Hey, listen, you're off tomorrow, right?"

"Just in the morning," Naruto replied. "I have to go in at three to finish today's shift."

"But you _are_ off in the morning?" Naruto nodded. "Awesome. My parents wanted me to invite you over for breakfast. Father's lawyer is going to be there, and he's going to be legally giving me the Tokyo branch of Uchiha Corp. Your parents will be there, too. It's a celebratory breakfast to mark me becoming the youngest CEO in the country."

Naruto couldn't help but smile.

"Congratulations," he said, patting Sasuke's back. "You've earned it. I'd be more than happy to be there."

"So, how was the concert?" Sasuke wanted to know.

"Well, actually," Naruto began, rubbing the back of his head, "we didn't stay for the whole thing. See, I kinda punched some guy out and then fucked Neji against a wall." Sasuke's eyes grew wide. "Then we left."

"_In_ the concert hall?" Sasuke asked, amazed.

"Yeah," Naruto chuckled. "Who would've thought Neji would be into that kind of thing?"

"You're bringing out a whole new side of him, Naruto," Sasuke shook his head. "I never thought exhibitionism would be one of his kinks. Or yours, for that matter."

"Me either," Naruto admitted. "But it was insanely hot."

"Well enjoy it while you can, Naruto," Sasuke sighed. "Because I wouldn't be caught dead having public sex."

"I'm sure I'll be able to change that," Naruto grinned.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to bed," he finally said. "You should do the same. And if you want, tonight, you and I can go to Hokage and get a bite. My treat," he specified.

"You know Dad won't let you pay," Naruto told him.

"You're probably right," Sasuke said. "Just set your alarm for six. If you're not up by a quarter after, I'm waking you up. Not nicely, either."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto said in return. "See you in a few hours, Sasuke."

They went to their respective rooms and shut their doors. Naruto stripped down to his boxers and climbed in bed. He knocked on the wall and Sasuke quickly answered. He finally had his best friend back, and it felt great. He dozed off quickly after that, silently looking forward to dinner, at Hokage, with his very best friend.

-OoOoOoO-

Sasuke's alarm went off sooner than he wanted it to. He groaned and turned over in bed, shutting his alarm off. He slowly rose, cursing his alarm for interrupting one of the most arousing dreams he'd ever had.

Sasuke pushed the covers back and sighed, staring at the obvious problem in his pajama pants. He knew Naruto wouldn't wake up to his alarm, so he had time, he figured, to take care of things before his shower. He pushed his pajama pants off, exposing his erection to the cool air in the apartment.

He grabbed his cock and started pumping, slowly at first, only to speed up when his thoughts returned to the dream he'd been having. Naruto had had him pinned up against a wall in some public place, with people all around, nibbling his neck and sliding his hands up Sasuke's shirt. Sasuke bit back a moan and coated two fingers with saliva. He trailed his hand down his body, past his other hand that was rapidly tugging at his rock-hard length, to his quivering entrance. He slowly pushed the two fingers past the rim and gasped. He curled his fingers in just the right way to make him see stars.

Sasuke's breathing was getting ragged, and pearls of sweat were starting to form on his brow. He let out a small whimper, thinking of Naruto's arctic blue eyes, darkened in lust, staring right through him. Sasuke felt the pressure building up in his gut, and sped up his pumps even more, curling his fingers again to bring his world to its knees.

At that moment, Sasuke's bedroom door opened, and Naruto walked in. His jaw dropped and he just stood there, staring at the scene before him. Finally, the built-up pressure became too much, and Sasuke came, locking eyes with Naruto to taunt him.

"N-Naruto," he breathed, and Naruto looked like he was about to pass out.

"God_damn_," Naruto gulped when he finally found his voice. "I _was_ going to apologize, but I'm suddenly really glad I walked in on that."

"Learn to knock, dobe," Sasuke scolded as he cleaned himself up.

"No way," Naruto said seriously. "I'm never knocking again. Hopefully I'll see that more often."

That idiot was wearing a face-splitting grin, and Sasuke had an epiphany: Maybe _this_ was the way to get his dobe; be overtly sexual without actually pushing him to cheat. Tease him mercilessly until he just can't take it anymore. With that in mind, Sasuke stood up from the bed, not bothering to put his pajama pants back on, and started walking toward the bathroom. Naruto tensed visibly as Sasuke started walking in his direction, and Sasuke couldn't stop the feral smirk that turned his lips up at the side.

"What?" he teased. "Can't handle a little nudity? You just watched me come."

Naruto blushed crimson, and Sasuke shoved past him. As he walked into the bathroom, Sasuke looked back at Naruto, who was unashamedly staring at his butt. Sasuke grinned as he shut the bathroom door. This was going to be easier than he thought!

-OoOoOoO-

Naruto's heart was racing. Did that really just happen? No way. He had to be dreaming. He just walked in on Sasuke jerking off, and not only did he not freak out, he had _intentionally_ teased him! Just what was he playing at? Naruto stood in the hall, his brain working a mile a minute, and he heard the shower turn off. He turned to the door and waited. The door opened a crack, and steam billowed out. Sasuke emerged a second later, wrapped in a towel. He raised a brow at Naruto.

"Still standing there, dobe?" he smirked.

Sasuke looked sexy as fuck when he was soaking wet, Naruto noticed immediately. His jet-black hair was plastered to his pale face, flushed pink from the heat of the shower. Drips of water were running down his toned torso and disappearing into the towel wrapped loosely around his waist.

Naruto just couldn't help but stare.

"God, Sasuke," he sighed. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

"I have an idea," Sasuke said simply, before giving Naruto a seductive look and shutting his bedroom door behind him.

"Damn," Naruto muttered.

For the very first time ever, Naruto found himself wishing he didn't have Neji, so he could burst through Sasuke's bedroom door and fuck his pretty little Uchiha senseless. And someday, he would. Today, however, was not that day. Today, they were best friends going out to dinner. sexual tension be damned.

Naruto shook his head and went to get dressed. The dress shirt he decided on had always been Sasuke's favorite, and he intentionally saved it for nights like tonight, when he and the raven went out together. It was a white button-up with black pin stripes that clung to his muscles. In the past, he had wondered why Sasuke liked this shirt so much. Now, it made sense.

Naruto and Sasuke walked out of their rooms at the same time, and Naruto casually gave Sasuke the once-over. He was wearing an expensive-looking black button-up with the top two buttons undone, showing off a couple inches of exposed throat.

"You know I love that shirt on you," Sasuke commented.

"Why do you think I'm wearing it?" Naruto grinned.

"In that case," Sasuke smirked, "I'll wear my leather jacket for you."

Excellent. Naruto loved that leather jacket. It made Sasuke look dangerous and mysterious. Although, in all fairness, there was nothing mysterious about Sasuke to Naruto anymore. He knew everything about the Uchiha.

In all the years Naruto and Sasuke had been friends, Naruto never wanted his best friend as much as he did right now. He was exuding pure sex, and Naruto finally understood why even straight men checked him out. The man was walking sex appeal. And for some reason, he had suddenly turned on the charm for Naruto. A part of Naruto's mind wondered if this was Sasuke's plan; to tease him until he snapped. If it was, Naruto had to admit, it was a good fucking plan.

Sasuke slipped on his leather jacket and eyed Naruto, who was still staring at him. Sasuke raised a questioning eyebrow at him, and Naruto scoffed.

"Don't act like you have no idea what you're doing to me," he snapped. "I know you're doing it on purpose."

"Maybe so," Sasuke sighed. "But don't you act like you're not loving every second of it."

Damn. Sasuke had him there.

"Let's just go to dinner," Naruto muttered, grabbing his keys and heading for the door.

Sasuke took the keys out of his hand.

"You're not driving," Sasuke told him.

"Why the hell not?" Naruto complained.

"A couple of reasons," Sasuke said. "One, Hokage is right around the corner and it's a beautiful night; we may as well walk. And for two, your driving scares the hell out of me."

"C'mon, teme!" Naruto whined. "My driving isn't _that_ bad!"

"Refresh my memory, dobe," Sasuke chuckled. "How many parked cars have you backed into?"

"Five," Naruto said quietly, defeated.

"And how many times have you hit my car?"

"A few," Naruto admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Six," Sasuke corrected him. "You have hit my car _six different times. _That I know of."

"Let's just go to dinner," Naruto grumbled again.

Sasuke grabbed his house keys and they headed out the door.

Minato greeted Naruto and Sasuke when they walked into Hokage. He seated them personally, then offered his congratulations to Sasuke.

"In order of your achievements," Minato grinned. "Everything is on the house."

"That's hardly necessary, Minato," Sasuke argued.

"Oh, please," Minato laughed. "You're like my second son. You don't have to pay for anything. I'm just wondering when you two are going to forget about the dating scene and just date each other already. And Sasuke, your parents are wondering the same thing."

Naruto was shocked that even their parents could see they were perfect for each other. He looked over at Sasuke, who was smirking at him.

"Oh, not to worry, Minato," Sasuke said smugly, "I'm working on it. With any luck, Naruto will be mine by the end of the week."

"You're so cocky, teme," Naruto noted, shaking his head.

Minato laughed.

"The usual, guys?" he asked.

"Yeah," Naruto responded. "And a bottle of sake."

"Do you really think alcohol is a good idea?" Sasuke asked quietly. "Remember what happened last time?"

Naruto saw his dad raise a single blond eyebrow, and he narrowed his eyes at Sasuke.

"That was whiskey," Naruto said. "This is sake. Big difference." 

"So what happened last time?" Minato asked, curious, and Naruto shot Sasuke what he hoped was a venomous glare.

But he knew Minato wouldn't let up. Naruto sighed.

"We shared a big bottle of Jack Daniel's," he said, "and Sasuke... kissed me."

"In all fairness, dobe," Sasuke scowled, "you kissed me back."

Naruto felt his face heat up. This was not a conversation he wanted to have with his dad standing right there. He would much rather talk to Sasuke about this when they were alone.

"Can we talk about this later, Sasuke?" Naruto asked quietly, motioning toward Minato.

"You actually want to _talk_ about it?" Sasuke asked sarcastically. "I thought you were just pretending it didn't happen so you can refuse to acknowledge the chemistry we have."

"Don't give me that shit, Sasuke," Naruto growled. "You know damn good and well why I haven't brought it up."

"Yeah," Sasuke nearly shouted, "Because you're so fucking _whipped_ by Neji that you can't see that the person you claim to have been in love with for years actually wants to be with you!"

"I'm not whipped, Sasuke, you take that back, _dattebayo_!"

Naruto grimaced when he heard his old speech impediment kick in. He thought he'd gotten over it years ago.

"Ooh," Sasuke smirked. "Sounds like _someone's _getting all worked up."

Naruto clenched his fists, ready to throw the first punch, if necessary.

"Sasuke," Minato warned, "quit starting a fight with Naruto. Naruto, quit encouraging him. And _both_ of you, break up with your boyfriends already! You'd have to be completely blind to not see the chemistry between you two!"

Naruto and Sasuke both looked down at the table. They both knew Minato had a point. Naruto and Sasuke locked eyes over the table.

"Sorry," they said in unison, and Naruto saw a smile creep onto Sasuke's lips.

It was impossible for Naruto to stay angry with Sasuke-it always had been. No matter how much of a prick he was, Sasuke was still Sasuke. Prickishness came with the territory. And goddammit, he loved that bastard, though he wasn't completely sure why. He and Sasuke fought literally all the time. Lately it had died down. The arguments started diminishing when Sasuke met Gaara, actually. Now that Naruto thought about it, that's when shit started getting weird between them, too. And when the monster of sexual tension reared its ugly head.

Minato had left, and Naruto was brought out of his thoughts by Sasuke clearing his throat. He looked up at Sasuke and blinked a few times.

"Got something on your mind, dobe?" Sasuke asked. "There was smoke pouring out of your ears."

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Yes, actually," Naruto snapped back, "there was something on my mind. You do realize our current situation is technically your fault, don't you?"

"Really?" Sasuke asked skeptically. "I tend to think our current situation is due to the fact that you won't break up with Neji. But enlighten me. How is this my fault? I can't wait to hear what your tiny little brain has come up with."

"Anyway," Naruto scoffed, "as I was saying before you turned into a dick... This is your fault because you wouldn't just let me angst while you got Gaara out of your system. You just had to set me up on a blind date when I didn't fucking want to go. What the fuck did you_ think_ was going to happen? You knew Neji was exactly my type from the very beginning. It's not my fault that you decided to get all jealous and finally admit how you feel about me. This is _your _fault, and if you really want me, _you _can figure out how to fix it."

Sasuke's eyes were wide by the time Naruto finished his rant.

"You're right," he finally said, looking away.

"I-I am?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said quietly. "I'll fix this, Naruto. I promise."

"How?" Naruto asked, worried. He didn't want Sasuke to resort to anything drastic. He knew Sasuke had a lot of power in Japan, and he could easily hire a hitman.

"I don't know," Sasuke admitted. "But I _will_ fix it. Legally," he added, seeing the look on Naruto's face.

Sasuke reached across the table and took Naruto's hand. Naruto looked up at Sasuke, and Sasuke's eyes softened.

"Your dad's right," Sasuke told him. "You'd have to be blind to not see what we have. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Someday, I'll make it up to you."

"Just fix this, Sasuke," Naruto pleaded.

Naruto's ramen and Sasuke's tempura shrimp came out shortly after, and they ate in silence.

"Oh, fuck!" Naruto exclaimed suddenly. "I forgot to text Neji!"

"It can wait," Sasuke growled. "You're on a date with me right now."

"This is a _date_?" Naruto asked.

"Yes," Sasuke said matter-of-factly. "I want to show you that I'm better for you than Neji."

"I already know that, Sasuke," Naruto told him. "But Neji... Neji knew how I felt about you from the beginning, and he still wants to give our relationship a chance. I have very strong feelings for him, Sasuke. My feelings for you are stronger, of course, but I really do love him. I mean, don't you love Gaara?"

Sasuke scoffed.

"No. He's a good lay. End of story."

"How good?" Naruto teased.

"Must we talk about this, dobe?"

"Yes," Naruto pressed. "I want to know what he does so well that I'll have to be better at."

Sasuke hesitated, sizing Naruto up, clearly wondering if he should tell him what he wanted to know. Finally, he sighed and rolled his eyes.

"He... he lets me dominate," Sasuke said, blushing. Naruto never knew Sasuke could _blush!_ "But he's still rough with me. He... talks dirty. He bites and leaves marks," Sasuke showed him one particularly purple hickey. "He makes me scream-"

"It doesn't take much to make _you _scream," Naruto chuckled.

"Bite me, dobe," Sasuke muttered, his face getting even redder.

"Anytime, teme," Naruto husked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Shit. What was he doing? Was he actually teasing Sasuke back? Did that... Did that count as cheating? Naruto wasn't sure, but the idea made him uncomfortable. Maybe he should just stop.

The rest of the "date" was uneventful, and Naruto and Sasuke walked home. For some reason, they were both still exhausted and went to bed shortly after getting home. The next morning was breakfast at the Uchihas. Naruto really wasn't looking forward to it after the talk they'd had with Minato tonight.

He settled himself under his covers and heard Sasuke's knock goodnight. He answered it and drifted into a peaceful slumber.

Morning came far too soon, and Sasuke was shaking him awake at what had to be six in the morning.

"Wha... What time is it, teme?" Naruto asked groggily.

"Seven-thirty," Sasuke yawned. "Get up, we have to get ready."

"Yeah, I'm up, I'm up."

Naruto rolled out of bed and dressed slowly. He'd get a shower before work... He and Sasuke had a cup of coffee before leaving, and before Naruto knew it, Sasuke's car was pulling into the Uchiha estate. He knew they'd be having breakfast in the back garden, like they always did, and the Uchiha servants took their jackets when they walked into the house. They made their way to the back garden and greeted Sasuke's parents and Itachi. Sasuke's father didn't look pleased... Then again, he never looked pleased. Mikoto looked beautiful, as usual, and Naruto told her so.

"Oh, Naruto," she gushed. "You're so charming. So when will you be joining the family?"

Naruto pretended he didn't know what she was talking about.

"I thought I already was, Mikoto," he said lightly.

"Well, of course you are, dear!" she giggled. Her voice dropped. "I just mean... when are you going to make an honest man out of my youngest son? Itachi already has someone. Sasuke has always been... promiscuous," Naruto didn't think Mikoto knew that about her son. He laughed. "And I just know you'll be the one to... shall we say, 'tame the beast'?"

By this time, Naruto was howling with laughter, and Sasuke punched him in the arm.

"It's not funny," he deadpanned. "Let's just get this over with so I can go home."

"We have to wait for Minato and Kushina," Mikoto told them, and soon enough, Naruto's parents came waltzing through the back yard like they owned the damn place.

Mikoto and Kushina hugged, and Kushina greeted Naruto, and they all sat down at the long table. Fugaku's lawyer was already there, and he took the seat next to Sasuke, where Itachi would usually sit. He had a huge stack of papers in front of him, and Naruto wondered just how long they'd be there. The chefs served breakfast, and everyone ate, making small talk that Naruto and Sasuke weren't concerned with. They kept looking up at each other across the table and kicking each other under the table. This was customary at an Uchiha gathering. It had been this way since Naruto and Sasuke were kids. What was different from all the other times, however, was that now, Sasuke had slipped his shoe off and was sliding his foot up Naruto's pant leg. He shot Sasuke a look over the table, and Sasuke just smirked at him. Bastard.

Finally, the lawyer spoke up, and Sasuke got to signing papers. The papers were then passed to Fugaku, who signed them as well and handed them back to the lawyer. After a good hour of Sasuke signing various papers, it seemed everything was settled. Fugaku ordered the servants to fetch a bottle of champaign, and they celebrated. Everyone offered their congratulations to Sasuke, patting him on the back or hugging him. Sasuke feigned interest. Naruto knew Sauske hated being fussed over, so he stayed by his best friend's side, listening to him grumble about it when no one was around to hear him.

"I hate shit like this," Sasuke mumbled as the lawyer left. "A breakfast was _not_ necessary."

He finished off his glass of champaign and set it down on the table.

"I'm done here. Let's get back to the apartment. We'll use you working as an excuse."

Naruto and Sasuke said their goodbyes and got back in the car. Once they were back in the city, Naruto decided it was safe to speak.

"Congratulations, Sasuke," he said. "The youngest CEO in the whole country... Wow. You must be super proud of yourself."

"I am, actually," Sasuke smirked, not looking away from the road. "It's definitely an ego-boost. I can't fucking believe my own mom called me promiscuous."

"Well," Naruto chuckled, "if the shoe fits..."

Sasuke looked away from the road for a second to give Naruto a dirty look. Naruto just laughed again.

-OoOoOoO-

The teasing went on for weeks, and Sasuke knew it was affecting Naruto more than he let on. When they were alone, Sasuke caught him staring. All the time. It made him feel a tad bit smug, knowing what he was doing to his best friend. On occasion, Naruto would tease him back. It had become something of a rivalry to see who would snap first. Sasuke was winning, of course. It was only a matter of time now. Naruto was practically putty in his hands.

Tonight, though, his teasing was fruitless. Neji was at the apartment, and he and Naruto were being sickeningly sweet with each other. Sasuke hadn't worn at shirt at home in weeks, and tonight was no different. Naruto chanced a glance at him every so often, and Neji either didn't notice, or pretended not to notice. Sasuke looked over at Neji and Naruto. Neji was snuggled up on Naruto on the couch, and Naruto was running his fingers through Neji's hair. Sasuke practically gagged. Finally, he got up and went to the kitchen in search of something to eat.

He heard hushed whispers coming from the living room as he dug through the fridge.

"What's with Sasuke?" Neji whispered.

He heard Naruto sigh.

"It's been going on for weeks," he said quietly. "Since the day after the concert, he's done nothing but tease me. He walks around the apartment barely dressed, he keeps giving me these 'come fuck me' looks, and quite frankly, it's getting annoying as hell."

"Don't lie, dobe," Sasuke said, coming out of the kitchen with a tomato in his hand. "What was it you said after you _accidentally_ walked in on me beating it? Oh, that's right! I think your exact words were, 'God, Sasuke, do you know what you do to me?' So don't act like my teasing doesn't turn you on, because I'm not fucking stupid."

"Shut the fuck up, teme!" Naruto shouted. "Do you really wanna get your ass kicked tonight?"

Sasuke snorted.

"Please. You haven't been able to kick my ass since grade school," Sasuke reminded him. "What makes you think you'll be able to now?"

"Because I'm fucking pissed!"

"I think I'm going home," Neji cut in. "Naruto, call me when this fight is over. I'll see you tomorrow."

Naruto paused to kiss Neji goodbye, and Sasuke swore he saw red. He really was going to beat the living shit out of the blond. Maybe it would knock some sense into that thick skull. Neji walked out the door and Naruto was immediately throwing a punch. Dammit. Sasuke didn't have time to block or side-step the blow, so it connected with his lip, splitting it. Sasuke caught Naruto's hand and spun it around, twisting Naruto's arm painfully behind his back. He shoved Naruto face-first into the wall.

"You think you can punch me in the face and get away with it, dobe?" Sasuke whispered in his ear. "Think again."

He slammed Naruto's head into the wall and Naruto shouted.

"Well, what the fuck, Sasuke?" Naruto groaned. "Are you _trying_ to get me in trouble with Neji?"

"You told me to fix this," Sasuke said, pressing his body into Naruto's back. "I'm fixing it."

"By pissing Neji off? Yeah, great plan, asshole."

"You got a better plan, dumbass?" Sasuke asked.

"No," Naruto admitted, "but I'd like to do this with as few people getting hurt as humanly possible."

"People are going to get hurt, dobe," Sasuke growled. "Nothing we can do about that."

He released Naruto's arm and spun him around, pinning him to the wall. Naruto's erection was obvious pressed up against his thigh.

"So even fighting with me turns you on," Sasuke observed, and he received a pitiful glare from Naruto.

He palmed Naruto's arousal through his jeans and Naruto shuddered. This was it! Naruto was about to lose it! Sasuke locked eyes with him and gave his dick a squeeze. And that was all it took.

Naruto's mouth was on his in a heartbeat. For a split second, Sasuke didn't know how to react. Naruto was kissing him. Sasuke pinched Naruto's chin, easing his lips open. He slipped his tongue past Naruto's lips, and Naruto moaned as their tongues met. Sasuke tugged at Naruto's hair and rubbed his erection through his jeans. Naruto bucked his hips against Sasuke's hand, and Sasuke took that as a silent go-ahead. He slipped his hand into the waistband of Naruto's jeans and wrapped his fingers around his length, squeezing and tugging as they kissed. Naruto's breaths were getting shaky, and Sasuke added a twist to his movements, pulling another moan from Naruto's mouth.

"S-Sasuke," Naruto moaned, breaking off the kiss. "Sasuke-Aah!-Don't."

But he made no moves to stop Sasuke.

"Don't what, dobe?" Sasuke purred in his ear, pumping him faster.

"Don't. Fucking. Stop."

Sasuke smirked. He had Naruto exactly where he wanted him. And Sasuke was itching to taste him. He dropped to his knees and hurried to unbutton Naruto's jeans before he changed his mind. Sasuke pulled the jeans down, along with Naruto's boxers. He marveled for just a second at how big Naruto actually was before plunging his mouth down on it. Naruto gasped and wove his fingers through Sasuke's hair. The taste of Naruto was like nothing he'd ever had before. He was salty and sweet and bitter, all at the same time. And now there was no turning back. He was Sasuke's. Now and forever.

"Oh, Sasuke," Naruto panted, thrusting his hips to push himself deeper in Sasuke's throat.

The wall acted as Sasuke's ally, holding the trembling Naruto up on his feet. Sasuke ran his tongue up the underside of Naruto's shaft, and his knees trembled again. He sucked hard, bobbing his head up and down around the hardened length. Naruto was gasping and moaning with every move Sasuke made.

"Sasuke," Naruto warned shakily, "I'm gonna-"

"Mmhmm," Sasuke hummed around Naruto's cock, and he exploded white-hot into Sasuke's mouth.

Sasuke swallowed every drop of the sticky fluid and pulled his mouth away from Naruto, looking up at him expectantly. Naruto collapsed on the floor beside Sasuke in a sweaty and breathless heap. His pants and boxers were still around his ankles and he had a far-off look in his eyes that suggested he enjoyed what just happened just as much as Sasuke did.

"So," Sasuke finally said, "now that I've blown you, when are we going to fuck?"

The far-off look Naruto had slowly disappeared and was replaced by a look of panic.

"Aw, shit," he groaned. "I just cheated on Neji, didn't I?"

"You sure as hell did," Sasuke said. "Might as well break up with him."

"No," Naruto said seriously. "That's for him to decide. I have to go over there and talk to him. Sasuke, I can't _fucking_ believe you did that! What were you thinking?"

"Bullshit!" Sasuke countered. "You told me not to stop. And this time, _you_ kissed_ me._ I refuse to take the blame this time. This one is on you. And you fucking loved it!"

"Yeah, I know," Naruto said, standing up and pulling up his pants. "I did love it. Is it sad that I really don't feel that guilty?"

Sasuke scoffed.

"And you say you love him..."

"I do, teme."

"If you loved him, you'd feel more guilty," Sasuke reasoned. "For that matter, if you loved him, you wouldn't have cheated on him in the first place."

Naruto ignored him and got out his phone. He sent a text, Sasuke assumed to Neji, and the quick response had him smiling slightly. He replied to the text and went into his room. Sasuke followed him, and noticed Naruto was packing an overnight bag; with more than just a day's worth of clothes.

"Care explaining?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm staying at Neji's for a few days," Naruto said sadly.

"Assuming he still wants something to do with you after you tell him you cheated on him," Sasuke said in return.

"Right," Naruto said. "Anyway, I think it's best if you and I spend some time apart. It might help clear some cobwebs from both our brains."

"_My_ brain is cobweb-free," Sasuke said adamantly. "It's you who doesn't know what he wants."

"Whatever. I'll see you in a few days, teme."

And with that, Naruto was gone.

Sasuke rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. Even after a blowjob, Naruto still ran to Neji. What the fuck did Sasuke have to do? Kill him? Sasuke briefly considered the possibility, then quickly dismissed it. Naruto would never forgive him. So now he was back to the dilemma of how to get rid of Neji for good. He picked up his tomato and sat down on the couch. He folded his legs underneath him and took a big bite out of the tomato. The juice ran down his chin and he caught it with his other hand. Tomatoes had always-_always_-been Sasuke's favorite food, ever since he was a kid. And this tomato was exceptionally juicy. It was a small comfort in the hellhole that was his life lately.

He enjoyed his tomato in the silence of the empty apartment, and he found himself missing Naruto's loud mouth. The next few days were going to fucking _suck._

-OoOoOoO-

Neji had only been home for about twenty minutes when he received a text message from Naruto.

"_Can I stay at your place for a few days?"_

Neji couldn't say he hadn't seen this coming.

"_Of course. I'll leave the front door unlocked. Did something happen?"_

"_Yeah. We'll talk about it when I get there."_

Again, Neji couldn't say in all honesty he hadn't seen this coming. He suddenly wished he hadn't left Naruto alone with Sasuke. Sasuke was, it seemed, trying to make Neji hate him venomously. And it was fucking working. Part of him _really_ didn't want to know what happened between Naruto and Sasuke tonight. So, with that in mind, Neji came to a decision.

Naruto let himself in a short time later, and he immediately threw himself into Neji's arms, littering his face with kisses. Neji was touched and he let himself smile slightly. He pried Naruto off him and looked into his eyes.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Before I tell you," Naruto said hesitantly, "I just want you to know that I love you and I'm sorry."

"Did you guys have sex?" Neji asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No," Naruto assured him, and Neji could hear the truth behind the statement.

"But it was more than a kiss," Neji assumed. It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"Then I don't want to know," Neji said quietly, hugging Naruto close. "Naruto, I don't want to hate Sasuke more than I already do, and I know that if you tell me what happened, I may have to kill him. I'm not angry with you, Naruto. I know what it's like to be in love and not have any control over yourself. I, for example, have no control over myself around you; which is probably why you're getting away with this right now. It does hurt to know that Sasuke has this much of a hold on you, but I want to try and change that. So, no, I'm not going to break up with you. We can make this work, Naruto. Stay with me for a week," Neji requested. "Show Sasuke that you're unhappy with whatever happened tonight. Maybe the teasing will stop. Will you stay with me for a week?"

"Yes," Naruto grinned in return, and he hugged Neji again. "I love you, Neji," he mumbled into his hair.

"I love you, too." 

They only made love once that night, and Neji couldn't help but notice that it took Naruto a little longer than usual to get hard. This led Neji to believe that whatever happened between Naruto and Sasuke tonight had been sexual, and Sasuke made Naruto come. He tried not to think about ti, snuggling into Naruto after their lovemaking, and attempted to get some sleep.

Neji's alarm went off too damn early. He and Naruto cuddled closer, neither of them wanting to leave the warmth of the bed. Naruto looked down at Neji and smiled. Neji smiled back at him and pushed the covers off of them. They stood together and walked to the bathroom. They showered and got ready for work, and Naruto seemed to be lost in thought.

"What's on your mind?" Neji asked as they got in the car to head to work.

"I just..." Naruto began, sighing, "I just feel bad for what happened last night."

"Don't," Neji smiled. "Guilt won't do you any good."

"So you're really not mad?" Naruto asked skeptically.

"I never said I wasn't mad," Neji corrected him. "I said I wasn't mad at _you._ Sasuke shouldn't have done whatever he did. And before you try to defend him, I _know_ it was him. He should have more respect for you and our relationship."

Naruto looked down at his lap and Neji reached over and took his hand briefly. Naruto looked up at him and smiled. The rest of the ride into the city was silent, and Neji dropped Naruto off in front of Akatsuki. They kissed slowly and tenderly before Naruto got out of the car, and then Neji parked his car in the parking deck down the street.

He had barely set his briefcase down in his cubicle when he saw Sasuke step off the elevator. He shot Neji a glare and then stomped to his office, slamming the door behind him.

Neji just shook his head.

Sasuke was _such_ a fucking child sometimes it was un-fucking-real.

Neji worked on his various projects, keeping an eye on the clock. The elevator opened again a short time later to reveal Gaara. This had been happening for awhile now. Gaara would come to Uchiha Corp., go to Sasuke's office, and emerge again about an hour later with messy hair. Neji wasn't stupid. He knew what went on in Sasuke's office while Gaara was there.

That gave Neji an idea.

Before Gaara could get to Sasuke's office door, Neji stepped in front of it. Gaara just looked at him.

"You don't want to go in there," Neji warned. "He's angsting. Hard."

Gaara blinked a few times, clearly unsure of what to make of this.

"...Why?" he asked hesitantly.

"Well," Neji said, "you have a right to know. Naruto and Sasuke-"

"Yeah, I know," Gaara cut in, and this time it was Neji's turn to be confused. "Talk about the elephant in the room. Those two have some _crazy_ sexual tension going on."

"Yeah, they do," Neji agreed. "Well, apparently, something... happened last night. Naruto's still pretty distraught about it. I don't know exactly what happened; Naruto was pretty vague."

"Why are you telling me this?" Gaara wanted to know.

"I have a favor to ask of you," Neji admitted. "You and I both know that Naruto and Sasuke are going to end up together." Gaara nodded. "And I want to keep Naruto to myself for as long as possible. I have decided that when you and Sasuke break up, I'll leave Naruto. So the favor I'm asking from you is to keep Sasuke to yourself for awhile."

"You clearly don't understand the dynamics of our relationship," Gaara chuckled, crossing his arms. "Sasuke and I are about sex. Not emotions. We don't have deep talks, we don't go on dates. We fuck. That's it. How do you expect me to hold on to someone who doesn't have any feelings for me?"

Son of a bitch. Neji was hoping he wouldn't have to resort to this.

"I'll make it worth your while," he said seductively.

"...How?"

"I've heard from a very reliable source that Sasuke is reluctant to let you bottom," Neji said, and Gaara blushed. "Likewise, Naruto is reluctant to let me top. I have a feeling they're holding out for each other. However, when the shit hits the fan, we can both get what we want. From each other. Consider it gratitude for helping me out."

Neji felt like a whore.

Gaara considered him for a moment.

"Fine," he finally said. "I'll keep Sasuke to myself for as long as possible. But if he offers to let me bottom, I'm not turning him down."

"Understood," Neji agreed. "If Naruto offers to let me top, I won't turn him down either."

"Good," Gaara smirked. "So we have a deal."

Sasuke's office door opened and the Uchiha stepped out, eyeing Neji suspiciously.

"Stop hitting on my boyfriend, Hyuuga," he deadpanned.

"He wasn't," Gaara lied smoothly. "He was just warning me that you're in a bad mood."

"Hn." Was all Sasuke could manage.

"I asked Naruto to stay with me for a week," Neji told him. "I wasn't sure if you'd talked to him."

Sasuke looked at him like he was contemplating homicide.

"I'm surprised you still want something to do with him after what happened last night," he sneered.

"Actually," Neji said lightly, "I asked him not to tell me. I figured you'd traumatized him enough for one night. I didn't want him to have to relive all the sordid details."

"Oh, he was _hardly_ complaining," Sasuke chuckled, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. "He initiated it. And he told me not to stop. What was I supposed to do?"

"Uhm, be the adult and say, 'No, we both have boyfriends. This is wrong'?" Neji suggested, irritated that Sasuke had implied-no, not even implied; he downright _said_ it!-that Naruto was at fault here. That couldn't be true, could it? Naruto wouldn't do that to him. Would he?

Neji was suddenly furious with Sasuke. That fucking _bastard_ had the _audacity _to suggest that Naruto had been intentionally unfaithful to him. Sasuke clearly had no respect for Naruto and Neji's relationship.

"You don't fucking deserve him, Uchiha," Neji spat, visibly shaking from head to toe. "You're a bastard. He can do so much fucking better than you. And he has me now. I'm going to try my hardest to make him forget all about you. For now, and maybe forever, he's _mine,_ and I want you to _back the fuck off_. This is your last warning."

With that, he walked away, leaving an amused Sasuke and a stunned Gaara behind him. It was already two o'clock, and Naruto was probably wondering where the hell he was. He made his way downstairs to the Uchiha Corp. cafeteria and bought their lunch, then walked down the street to the shop. His head was still reeling from his argument-well, one-sided argument, really-with Sasuke, and he couldn't stop thinking about what Sasuke had said.

"_He told me not to stop."_

Should he confront Naruto about it? It was a real toss-up. On the one hand, he could disprove what Sasuke had said, and bring himself some peace of mind. On the other hand, however, he could find out something that he really, really didn't want to know.

Neji walked into Akatsuki, and Naruto immediately locked eyes with him and beamed.

Ignorance, Neji deicded, was bliss.

**A/N: Well, there you have it. This is my longest chapter EVER! (19 pages) Like I said up top, this was really supposed to be smut-free chapter, but it looks as though Sasuke had other ideas.**

**Sasuke: Please, you're the one that made me jack off.**

**missbip0lar: Shut the fuck up, Sasuke. It wasn't supposed to happen like that.**

**Sasuke: Well, I knew what you were planning for the next chapter, so I wanted to make sure I made my mark.**

**missbip0lar: **_**That**_** is not set in stone. I'd actually like to ask my lovely readers their opinion on the matter.**

**Sasuke: Doesn't **_**my**_** opinion count?**

**missbip0lar: No. Anyway, lovely readers, I have a question for you. Should Neji top? I have two different lemons written for the next chapter, and I wanna keep my readers as happy as possible. So what do you think?**

**Sasuke: If Naruto lets Neji top, I'm going to murder them both.**

**missbip0lar: No you won't, you emo bastard. Let me know, my wonderful readers. Feed the review monster?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I am currently in the middle of negotiations with Kishimoto-sensei for him to sign the rights to Naruto over to me. Nah, I'm just kidding. I do not-and never will-own Naruto.**

**Warnings: Lemons, of course.**

**A/N: [SERIOUSLY. READ THIS.] Damn. Those reviews came in fast as fuck. And-as I should have expected-they were pretty much unanimous. Most of you do not want to see Neji top. There have been some reviewers, however, who did wanna see it. So, in light of that, I have decided to post two different versions of this chapter. I will post this one, in which Neji bottoms, and the next one (which i will also post today), in which Neji will top. Nothing else in the chapter will be different. Just the lemon. I want to thank everyone who reviewed and let me know what they wanted to see. R&R**

**Mood music for this chapter: "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction. Not because it has anything to do with the chapter. Just because, since the first time I heard it, I haven't been able to get it out of my head. .**

-OoOoOoO-

The mild spring gradually gave way to sweltering summer heat, and Sasuke was beginning to wonder if he'd ever get his blond. Naruto and Neji were happier than ever, and Gaara had actually suggested that he and Sasuke attempt a real relationship. So, for the past couple of months, Sasuke and Gaara had really gotten to know each other on a more personal level, and while Sasuke _definitely_ couldn't say he was in love with Gaara, he couldn't deny the fact that he had some sort of feelings for the redhead. Every time they talked, Sasuke found himself hanging on every word Gaara said. Gaara was, it seemed, _extremely_ intelligent. He had gone to some Ivy League university in the U.S. and graduated at the top of his class. However, he was a trust fund baby, and hadn't had to work a day in his life. He talked at length about how he hated his two older siblings and his father because he felt they blamed him for the untimely death of his mother, who had died giving birth to him.

Sasuke could literally listen to him talk for hours.

As for Sasuke and Naruto, things were more awkward than ever. Their bickering had come to a complete standstill, and they were overly polite when they talked. Sasuke still caught Naruto staring from time to time when they were alone. They put on a happy face in front of their parents, but that only resulted in sad looks from their elders. Sasuke talked to Itachi every day, and his brother was still convinced that Sasuke and Naruto would live happily ever after together (though not in those exact words). While Sasuke wanted to blame his brother's optimism on him being a hopeless romantic, he knew he couldn't. Itachi was quite the opposite, actually. He was always calculating and logical, and for Itachi to base his opinions solely on his emotions was absurd. He never did such things. This led Sasuke to believe that his brother knew what he was talking about. He tried hard not to doubt Itachi, and it gave him hope.

It was July now, and Sasuke's birthday was fast approaching. There would be a party, as there was every year, but Sasuke wasn't looking forward to it. It would be a day full of forced smiles and forced gratitude, and Naruto would probably be the only one to not give him a gift. He felt his best friend slowly slipping through his fingers, and what hurt the most was that it was his fault. Sasuke wanted nothing more than to turn back time to before he had met Gaara, so he could tell Naruto how he felt and avoid all this nonsense.

On top of all that, Naruto and Neji were leaving for the Hyuuga vacation house first thing this morning. Sasuke wanted to stop him, tell Naruto not to go, but Naruto was really looking forward to this. Although Sasuke hadn't exactly been the ideal best friend lately, he knew it was still his duty to make sure Naruto was as happy as possible. And as much as it killed Sasuke to admit it, Neji was what made Naruto truly happy. He had already interfered enough. It was time now to heed Neji's warning and back off.

-OoOoOoO-

Naruto was just getting out of the shower when his phone rang. He picked it up from the bathroom counter and grinned.

"_Ohayo,_ Neji!" He exclaimed into the phone.

"_Ohayo,_ Naruto," Neji replied. Naruto could hear the smile in his voice. "Are you up?"

"Yup. Just got out of the shower."

"Ooh," Neji purred. "Are you still naked?"

Naruto shook his head, grinning from ear to ear.

"Pervert," he laughed.

"You never answered my question," Neji pointed out.

"Yes," Naruto finally said. "I'm still naked."

"How about some phone sex before our little road trip?" Neji suggested.

"Nope," Naruto smiled. "I'll see you in a little bit. I just have to get dressed then I'll be on my way."

"Fine," Neji sighed. "See you soon. Love you."

"Love you, too, baby," Naruto responded, then he hung up the phone.

Naruto usually wasn't fond of pet names. "Teme" and "dobe" had been lighthearted insults for years that had somehow morphed into pet names. But generally, Naruto was against "honey" and "sweetheart" and even "baby", but with Neji, he just couldn't help himself. He'd been calling Neji "baby" for about a month now. He wasn't exactly sure how it started, he just knew Neji lit up like a Christmas tree every time he said it. It turned him to complete goo every single time Neji looked at him like that, so he kept it up, and Neji's reaction never disappointed him.

Naruto dressed and brushed his teeth quickly and packed his toothbrush in his bag. He headed toward the door, and instead, went to Sasuke's bedroom door. He knocked quietly and waited.

"What?" Sasuke snapped irritably.

"I just wanted to let you know I'm leaving."

"Fine. Bye."

Naruto sighed.

"I'll see you in five days, teme," Naruto told him, frustrated. "Don't call unless you're dying."

"Like you would care," he heard Sasuke mutter.

That was it. He'd had just about enough of Sasuke's emo bullshit. Naruto swung open the bedroom door and walked over to the bed. Sasuke was cocooned in his comforter, his bloodshot eyes staring at nothing in particular.

"You're such a fucking woman, ya emo prick," Naruto scoffed.

"Fuck off, dobe," Sasuke mumbled into his blanket.

"Whatever. Don't forget to pick up your dry cleaning. I won't be able to pick it up for you this time."

"Hn."

Naruto turned to walk out of Sasuke's room, and Sasuke caught him by the wrist.

"Have fun," he whispered. "I'll... miss you."

Naruto smiled.

"I'll miss you, too, teme," he said quietly. "See you in five days."

"Five days," Sasuke confirmed, letting go of Naruto's wrist.

Naruto could have sworn he heard Sasuke sniffle as he closed the bedroom door behind him. He didn't know why Sasuke was still acting this way. He and Gaara seemed to be doing remarkable well (Naruto had to admit, he was getting mildly jealous), and he made sure Neji and Sasuke were almost _never_ in the same place for very long. He wasn't sure what exactly had imploded between the two, but there had been some serious hostility on both ends for a few months now.

Naruto packed his bags in his car and took off toward Neji's house. He wondered for a moment if Neji's car had air conditioning, then laughed at himself. Neji's car was a fucking _convertable_. Who needs air conditioning when you can just put the top down?

Naruto parked his car in Neji's garage and unloaded his bags from the trunk. He threw them in the back seat of the Mustang and let himself inside Neji's house. Neji peeked his head out of the bathroom, toothbrush hanging from his mouth, and smiled as best he could. Naruto took his shoes off at the door and walked into the bathroom. He stood behind Neji, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's waist and burying his face in his long chocolate locks. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of Neji's citrus shampoo. He loved the smell of Neji. It was completely intoxicating.

"Mmm, I missed you, baby," Naruto mumbled into Neji's hair.

"You just saw me yesterday," Neji reminded him around his toothbrush, his eyes lighting up.

"So?" Naruto chuckled. "I still missed you. If that's a crime, arrest me."

"Naruto, I don't think you could contain yourself if I put handcuffs on you," Neji said as he rinsed his toothbrush off.

"You're probably right," Naruto agreed. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try it out."

"Maybe I'll buy a set of handcuffs then," Neji smirked, turning around in Naruto's arms.

He brought his lips to Naruto's, and they kissed deeply. Naruto wove his fingers in Neji's hair and tilted his head back to have better access to the thin column of throat in front of him. He kissed and nibbled at the skin, and Neji whimpered, balling Naruto's tee-shirt in his fists.

"Wanna-mmm-move to the bedroom?" Naruto asked against Neji's neck.

"Nope," Neji said simply, gently shoving Naruto off him. "You turned phone sex down, so I'm turning sex down."

"C'mon, baby," Naruto husked, attacking Neji's neck again and toying with the button on his skinny jeans. "Just a quickie? We have time."

He lightly sunk his teeth into Neji's collar bone. Neji gasped and arched his back, and Naruto knew he had him.

"Fine," Neji conceded. "I guess once wouldn't hurt."

"I can make it hurt if you want me to," Naruto said seductively, palming Neji through his jeans.

"Just get me to the bedroom."

Naruto led Neji down the hall to his bedroom. Their quickie hastily turned into an hour-long romp, and when they were both sated, they dressed again and got ready for their road trip.

"We're behind schedule now, thanks to your hormones," Neji complained as he locked up the house.

"I didn't hear _you_ bitching," Naruto countered. "I heard you screaming my name, but never once did I hear, 'Hurry up, Naruto, we're going to be late'."

"Yeah, yeah," Neji laughed, putting on his aviator sunglasses and getting in the Mustang. "Let's just go."

Naruto slid into the passenger seat and put his own sunglasses on. Neji put the top down and Naruto got out his pack of cigarettes. Okay, this needs some explaining. When the shit hit the fan with Sasuke a few months back, Naruto felt himself getting more and more stressed as the weeks wore on. Deidara, who knew everything by this point thanks to Itachi, had innocently offered Naruto a smoke at work one day to help calm his nerves. Needless to say, Naruto gladly accepted and was now back to smoking a pack a day. He knew it was bad for him, he truly did, but the relaxed feeling he got after having a cigarette (whether it be after one of Sasuke's infuriatingly snide remarks, or even after a round of phenominal sex with Neji) was almost worth the risk of lung cancer, in his eyes.

Sasuke was, of course, completely disgusted that Naruto had taken up smoking again. Neji, on the other hand, was a different story. For some reason, he found the act itself insanely sexy, and practically begged for open-mouthed kisses after Naruto finished a cigarette. He said it gave Naruto the bad-boy image, and Neji had always been attracted to bad boys. Naruto thought it was hilarious that Neji was so turned on by his unhealthy habit.

So when Naruto lit his cigarette, he noticed Neji watching him out of the corner of his eye. Naruto turned to him and gave him a look. Neji laughed and shook his head, and they took off.

Neji left Naruto in charge of the radio, and they listened to cheesy Top 40 hits, singing the songs everybody knew at the tops of their lungs, making up their own lyrics as they sang. Naruto was already having a blast, and they'd only been on the road for about an hour. Having the top down in the Mustang was an amazing feeling. They sped down back country roads, singing and laughing and exchanging loving glances. Neji's hair was everywhere. The wind whipped it around the car, and Naruto knew Neji would regret not putting it up later when he tried to get a hairbrush through it. At the moment, though, he didn't seem to care. He was smiling more than Naruto had ever seen him smile before, and Naruto thought it was absolutely beautiful. He was falling deeper and deeper in love with the Hyuuga, and it saddened him to think that one day he and Neji would break up. He pushed the thought from his mind, deciding instead to cherish the time he had with Neji. He leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, and Neji turned to him and smiled. God, Naruto loved that smile.

After driving for a little over three hours, Neji pulled into a long driveway lined with cherry blossom trees. There was a gentle breeze blowing through, and the cherry blossom petals danced around them.

"Wow," Naruto breathed, "this is beautiful."

"This is nothing," Neji told him. "Wait until you see the house."

The driveway wound this way and that, until finally, a gigantic house came into view. It was easily the biggest house Naruto had ever seen, much bigger than the Uchiha estate. The architecture, Naruto was surprised to see, was predominantly Western, with a huge bay window overlooking the drive and a balcony coming off the second floor. Neji parked at the side of the house and they got out of the car. They grabbed their bags from the back seat and Neji unlocked the door.

"Welcome," he said, "to _Casa del Hyuuga._"

The house, if possible, was even bigger than it looked from the outside. There was a crystal chandelier hanging in the walkway, and Naruto couldn't wait until it got dark so they could turn the light on and watch the crystals glisten.

Naruto and Neji toed their shoes off at the door and ventured further inside. Everything was white. Not boring, sterile, hospital white, but pure, shining, gorgeous white. The couches and chairs in the sitting room were white, and the end tables were a dark, contrasting cherry that really brought everything together. There was expensive-looking art all over the walls and a shiny chess set on the coffee table. Naruto wondered to himself why there was no dust. The house clearly hadn't been occupied in forever, but everything was pristine.

"My uncle hired cleaners to come in yesterday to make sure everything was perfect." Neji explained, as if he could read Naruto's thoughts.

"This is... amazing."

"Let me give you the tour," Neji offered, and took Naruto by the hand.

Neji led Naruto around the massive house. There was a gigantic kitchen that they would need to stock with food for their time here, with an elegant dining area attached. There were two bedrooms on the first floor, but neji said they wouldn't be using either one. There was also a bathroom on the first floor, and Naruto could have sworn all the fixtures were solid gold, but that couldn't be right, he reasoned; he'd have to investigate on his own later. They climbed the spiral staircase and went upstairs. There were three bedrooms upstairs, and Neji showed him Hinata's and her sister's. Finally, they reached the end of the hall, and Neji smiled at him.

"And this," he said, stopping at the door, "is my room. Now, before I open the door, I should warn you: nothing in this room has changed since I was 18, so it still looks like a teenager's room. There are posters and pictures on the walls. This place was my home away from home. It still is," he admitted. "Are you ready?"

"Hell yeah!" Naruto exclaimed. "I get to see what you were like as a teenager! Let's go!"

Neji grinned widely and opened the door, revealing the largest of the upstairs bedrooms. The walls were, like Neji had said, positively littered with pictures and posters, and the bare portions of the walls were painted a deep navy blue. The bed in the center of the room was easily as big as Neji's bed back home, with navy blue comforters and sky blue pillowcases.

Naruto walked around the large room, admiring the snapshots taped to the wall. Neji was _much_ younger, with a look on his face that was reminiscent of the look Sasuke always wears. One picture in particular caught Naruto's eye. It was a photograph of Neji and Hinata, in some sort of dojo, both in fighting stances with serious looks on their faces.

Neji was suddenly standing behind Naruto.

"That dojo is here," Neji told him. "Out back. Maybe if you're lucky," he pressed his body right up against Naruto's back, put his lips against his ear, and purred, "I can take you out there and show you how a real man fights."

For some reason, just the way Neji said that caused Naruto to shudder violently. He turned around to face his partner, and already, Neji was giving him that look that always made him weak in the knees and instantaneously aroused. And then a sudden thought occurred to Naruto:

They were alone. They were cut off from the rest of civilization for the next _five days_. There would be absolutely nothing to distract them from this much needed Naruto and Neji time; no work, no emo roommate, to time restrictions. For the next five days, they could devote every waking hour to each other. Naruto was positively giddy. He silently wondered of they would leave the bed at all. He knew they were like a couple of horny teenagers, but Naruto didn't care. Sex was suddenly a satisfying and beautiful experience for him, and he just couldn't have enough of that wonderful feeling. He found himself wondering again-as he had so many times before-is Sasuke could ever make him feel the way Neji made him feel.

_No, _he silently stopped himself. _Get Sasuke the fuck out of your head for the next five days. This vacation is for you and Neji._

In a sudden moment of inspiration, Naruto dropped his bags on the floor and grabbed Neji, kissing him with everything he had. kissing Neji never got old. It made his stomach do flips and his heart pound fast in his ribcage. He took Neji's bags out of his hands and discarded them next to his own. He slipped Neji's tank top over his head and pushed him toward the enormous bed. He picked Neji up by the thighs and carried him the rest of the way. He deposited Neji on the plush mattress and unbuttoned his pants, dropping to his knees next to the bed.

"Wait," Neji breathed. "We should unpack."

"Fuck that," Naruto snarled, forcing Neji's butt off the bed so he could pull his jeans down.

"If we don't do it now, we never will," Neji argued feebly.

"As soon as we're done," Naruto promised, stroking Neji's hardening member.

There was still something he wanted to do for Neji that he hadn't done for him yet. Though he was sure it wouldn't hold a candle to when Neji did it for him, or when Sasuke did, for that matter (_Shut up, brain! _He screamed internally), he still wanted to do it. He wasn't accustomed to it; he'd only done it a few times before, and generally wasn't a fan, but for some reason, things were different with Neji. So, he locked eyes with Neji for the briefest moment, and wrapped his mouth around the hard length. Neji gasped and let his head fall back on the bed, and Naruto could practically see all thoughts of unpacking leaving his mind. He licked slowly up the shaft, bringing forth a breathy whimper from Neji's slightly parted lips. In truth, this was Naruto's favorite thing about sex with Neji. The sounds he made were sexy, and Naruto loved the fact that those sounds were intended just for him. It made him possessive, and if possible, even hornier. It made him want to plunge himself deep into that tight heat and coax even more delicious sounds from his lover.

Neji's hips were moving of their own accord, and Naruto grabbed them, pushing them harshly onto the bed.

"Stop that," he reprimanded, removing his mouth from Neji for a moment. "Not everyone has the gift of no gag reflex like you do."

"Conversation later," Neji panted as he pushed Naruto's head back down, and Naruto went willingly.

Naruto dipped his tongue into the slit at the tip of Neji's cock, tasting the salt of pre-come. Naruto swirled his tongue around the head, and then took in as much of Neji as he could.

"Oh, God," Neji gasped, fisting the comforter and trying to buck his hips again. "Whatever you do, Naruto, don't fucking stop."

Huh. That sounded weirdly familiar, and Naruto felt the guilt wash over him for the millionth time. He knew now that what he had done with Sasuke was beyond wrong, and every time he and Neji were intimate, he felt extremely guilty. He had almost told Neji the whole truth quite a few time, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He pushed the guilt away-again, for the millionth time-and went back to work. He bobbed his head quickly, sucking hard and lightly scraping his teeth along the shaft. Neji's breaths had become quiet whimpers and moans, and Naruto knew he was lost in pleasure. He lightly teased Neji's entrance, just barely brushing a finger across it, and Neji tried in vain to push down on it. Naruto pushed his finger against Neji's rim, slipping in just to the first knuckle. Neji whined and tried again to push himself down.

"Stop t-teasing," he begged. "Just do it."

So Naruto pushed the single finger in and up, making Neji's breath hitch.

"Hah..." he moaned, and Naruto curled his finger. "Oh, God," Neji said again. "Keep doing that. I'm so close. Just a little mo-Ah!"

Neji's seed filled Naruto's mouth, and he suddenly remembered why he didn't like doing this. Come tasted gross. Regardless, he swallowed everything and looked up at Neji, wiping his mouth off and pulling his finger out of him. Neji's chest rose and fell with his unsteady breathing, and he lifted his head up off the bed to look at Naruto.

"I love you so fucking much," he said, and let his head fall back onto the bed.

"I love you, too," Naruto remarked. "Now where's the lube? I have a pretty desperate situation here that isn't gonna fix itself."

Naruto's arousal was feeling utterly neglected, and his cargo shorts were a little too tight for his liking.

"Blue backpack," Neji said, pointing in the general direction of his bags. "Left side pocket."

Naruto stood and walked over to the forgotten bags. He unzipped the side pocket of the bag Neji specified and pulled out the bottle, regarding it for a long moment. There was definitely not enough lube here fir five days of nonstop sex.

"_Please_ tell me we have another bottle," Naruto said as he walked back to the bed.

"I'm not stupid," Neji scoffed. "We have _two_ more bottles, just in case."

Naruto smiled. Of course. Leave it to Neji to be prepared. He dropped the bottle of lube on the ,mattress as Neji maneuvered himself to the head of the bed. Naruto undressed quickly, dropping his clothes in a pile on the floor. He climbed overtop of Neji and pushed his thighs further apart. He rested his hands on either side of Neji's head, leaning down to kiss him and press their bodies together. Neji reached between Naruto's legs and grabbed his erection, guiding it to his entrance and showing Naruto _exactly_ what he wanted.

"Patience," Naruto chuckled. "I don't want to rip you."

"I don't care," Neji said. "Please take me."

"Patience," Naruto repeated, and slicked his fingers with the lube.

He pushed two fingers all the way in, and Neji sighed deeply. Naruto thrust his fingers, scissoring them as he slid them out. He pushed his fingers in again and curled them. Neji moaned while Naruto teased his prostate.

"Please," Neji pleaded. "Please take me."

Finally, Naruto slipped his fingers out of Neji and lubed up his erection. He put Neji's legs over his shoulders-Neji seemed to like it best like that-and eased himself inside. Naruto's breath caught as he felt Neji's tight heat envelop him for the second-and certainly not last-time that day. He started rolling his hips immediately, unable to hold himself back. If Neji's wanton moans were any indication, he didn't mind at all.

"Fuck, Neji," Naruto gritted out, "I don't know how it's possible, but somehow you seem to get tighter every time."

Neji responded by arching his back and meeting Naruto's every thrust, letting out a low, loud moan from the back of his throat. He was hard again, Naruto noticed, and he wrapped his fingers around the erection and stared pumping erratically. His thrusts were getting faster and his breathing was getting shallow. Neji was digging his fingernails into Naruto's back, shouting gibberish and continuing to meet every one of Naruto's thrusts. It hadn't taken Naruto and Neji very long to establish a system when it came to sex. Naruto knew exactly how Neji liked to be fucked, and Neji knew exactly how to reciprocate. It was definitely never boring.

Naruto continued to stroke Neji, and he was beginning to pound into him harder than he ever had before. Neji, Naruto had noticed, seemed to get stuck on one word or phrase during sex, and he would repeat it over and over again until he climaxed. Today, that phrase was "Oh, God." Neji had said it about a thousand times already, and wasn't showing any signs of stopping. Naruto was getting close, and he sincerely hoped Neji was, too. He thrust even harder, and Neji's eyes shot open.

"Oh, God!" he shouted again.

"You can call me Naruto," Naruto quipped breathlessly.

Neji tried to laugh, but was suddenly coming, spilling warm over Naruto's hand. Naruto was quick to follow, thrusting short and fast inside Neji. Neji gasped as Naruto pulled out of him, and they both lay panting on the bed.

"Thanks," Neji finally said, breaking the peaceful silence between them.

"For what, baby?" Naruto asked, turning on his side to face his lover.

"For helping me break in this bed," Neji grinned.

"You've never had sex in this bed before?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"Nope," Neji answered. "Usually when I'm here, my family is here too. I think it would be a little too much for them to handle. I mean, you should have heard my uncle when I told him I was bringing you here. He was like, 'Now, Neji, I may not know _exactly_ how everything works between you two in the bedroom. But that does not mean that I'm naive to the implications of gay sex. Be sure to wash the damn sheets, kid.' I swear, it was so hard not to laugh."

Neji's voice had dropped an octave when he was impersonating his uncle, and he had a look on his face that reminded him of Fugaku, Sasuke's father (Dammit, he was doing it again). Naruto suddenly never wanted to meet Neji's uncle.

"So what's your family like?" Naruto asked, curious.

"Most of them are okay," Neji said. "My uncle is a little overbearing, and Hinata's sister is a stuck-up little brat, but everyone else is great."

"What about your parents?" Naruto wanted to know.

Neji looked up at the ceiling, clasping his hands behind his head.

"That's kind of a tender subject, actually," he said quietly, then turned to Naruto, propping his head up on his hand. "I never knew my mom," he explained, "and I lost my dad when I was just a kid. My uncle raised me most of my life. I don't even really remember my dad..."

"I'm sorry," Naruto said, rubbing Neji's arm softly.

Deep down, Naruto was wondering just what happened to Neji's dad. But he knew he couldn't ask. Neji had literally just said it was a tender subject. He really didn't want to push his luck, but Naruto could not live his entire life without knowing. He had a feeling it had been some huge tragedy, and Naruto wanted to do what he could to comfort his boyfriend.

Neji, who had been picking at the comforter, looked up at Naruto, then looked back down.

"You can ask, Naruto," he said, and Naruto should have known Neji would know exactly what was on his mind. Neji looked up at him again, and there was the faintest hint of a smile on his face.

"Okay..." Naruto began, and he tried to stop his heart from racing. "So," he continued, still nervous as all hell, "what exactly happened to your dad?"

Neji locked eyes with Naruto.

"When I was six," he said, "my dad killed himself. Nobody knows why. All anyone knows is that one day, he was perfectly fine, and the next..." he paused. "The next day, my uncle found him hanging in his office. His funeral was the worst day of my life. I didn't fully understand at the time. I was only six, after all. I just knew I'd never see him again. It was even harder on my uncle. They were twins, so they always had a strange connection. He's always said he had a feeling something was wrong; said he knew for weeks. He still blames himself, and can't look at me right. I'm all he has left of his twin brother. It's not an easy thing to live up to."

Neji's voice was even the whole time he spoke, but Naruto could see the despair behind his eyes. He pulled Neji close and rubbed his hair. Neji held him, and he held Neji. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, and when they finally parted, Neji's eyes were wet and red.

"Oh, Neji," Naruto comforted. "Don't cry, baby. I'm here."

"I'm sorry," Neji said quietly, wiping his eyes. "I haven't talked about ti in so long. You are now one of the only people outside the Hyuuga family who knows the whole story. I just... wanted you to find out from me rather than Sasuke." Naruto gave him a look. "Yes, Sasuke knows. The Uchihas have been business associates with the Hyuugas for generations. They know everything that happens in the Hyuuga estate; business and personal. My father's death was both."

"Can I ask you a favor?" Naruto asked.

"Of course."

"Let's not talk about the Uchihas for the rest of the time we're here," Naruto said. "For the next five days, that family doesn't exist. You and I are the only two people in the world for the next five days. Is that okay?"

Neji smiled. It was a real, genuine smile. Naruto felt himself melt inside.

"Yeah," Neji said finally. "I'd like that. Now, I'd like to ask _you_ something."

"Oh, yeah?" Naruto asked. "What's that?"

"Well," Neji began, "this is the only house around for miles. No one ever comes out here-not that it would really matter to either of us," Neji chuckled. "Anyway, you said on our first date that you wanted me in my car. Do you still want that?"

"Uh, yeah!" Naruto exclaimed. Wasn't it obvious?

Neji smiled.

"Okay," he said. "well, let's get dressed and unpack. Then, we can run to the grocery store to get food. We'll come back here, eat dinner, and then... we can go to the car."

Naruto grinned widely. He'd been looking forward to this for months, and not it seems he would finally get what he wanted. They got out of bed and dressed, then they unpacked, putting their clothes in the dresser and closet and their toiletries in the bathroom down the hall.

"See?" Naruto said as they made their way downstairs and out the door. "I told you we would unpack."

Neji simply rolled his eyes.

-OoOoOoO-

Neji walked hand in hand with Naruto through the market while they both chose various foods for their vacation. Naruto, not surprisingly, put so much instant ramen in the basket that Neji was shocked they were able to fit anything else. Neji had learned quickly that Naruto could easily eat ramen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And sometimes, he did. Neji tried desperately to inject some healthy eating habits into Naruto's life, only for Naruto to whine about how he hadn't had ramen in two whole days. Finally, Neji gave up. There was simply no stopping Naruto from eating his precious ramen.

They got to the register, and Neji went to run his fingers through his hair, only to find that it was hopelessly tangled. He grimaced slightly, but he really should have seen this coming. His hair hadn't been tied back at all today, and he had started his day off with a round of sex, then a three-hour car ride with the top down, then even more sex. He would have to try to get a hairbrush through it when they got back. Although, he would probably have to have Naruto do it. It was far too tangled for Neji to be able to get a hairbrush through it alone.

They put their groceries on the counter one by one, and Naruto turned to Neji.

"Let me pay for the groceries," he requested.

"No," Neji said simply. "I have money saved up specifically for this trip. I'm not letting you pay for anything. Now, put your ramen on the counter and let's get back."

Neji paid for the food and they went back to the car. Naruto was weirdly silent the entire way back to the house.

"Are you upset?" Neji asked hesitantly.

"A little," Naruto grumbled. "I don't want you to feel like you have to foot the bill for everything just because you make more than I do."

"I don't feel like that at all," Neji assured him. "You and I have been together almost three months now, and we've gone on plenty of dates where you've paid. I just figured that since this vacation was my idea, and it's at my family's vacation house, I should be the one to treat you. If I made you feel like I disrespected you in any way, I apologize." He looked at Naruto, who smiled. "Okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto muttered. "You don't have to apologize."

They pulled back into the long drive and wound their way up to the house. When Neji parked the Mustang, they both got out and grabbed an armfull of grocery bags before going back inside. They put the food away together, then they each made themselves an instant ramen cup and got to eating. While Neji didn't necessarilly mind instant ramen, he couldn't understand why Naruto loved it so much; especially with the dad he had. Naruto had probably grown up eating the best of everything, from curry to sushi, and everything in between.

"So tell me," Neji said, setting his empty ramen cup down on the dining room table. "How did this ramen obsession start?"

Naruto smiled like he knew this topic of conversation would come up eventually.

"I was a super picky eater when I was little," Naruto explained. "My mom gave me my first cup of instant ramen when I was two, just to see if I'd eat it. Until then, I would literally only eat toast or Jell-O." Neji gave him a questioning look. "I don't know," Naruto chuckled. "That's what my mom said. Anyway, after that first cup of instant ramen, I was hooked. So my dad started experimenting. He learned how to cook the real stuff, and put all sorts of things in it; all kinds of veggies and meats. And I was finally getting the nutrition my growing body needed, even if it was masked behind tons of sodium and calories. So, my parents kept giving me bowl after bowl of ramen. They say I'm lucky I have such a high metabolism, or else the ramen I've been eating pretty much daily since I was two would have made me fat by now. I'm not nearly as much of a picky eater as I used to be. Spending my entire childhood in Hokage cured me of that. But ramen will always be my favorite."

Naruto grinned broadly when he finished his story, and all Neji could do was shake his head and chuckle. He tried again to pull his fingers through his hair, only to be stopped by the sheer number of knots. It was getting fucking irritating, quite frankly, so he decided to do something about it.

Neji got up from the dining room table, and after throwing his trash away, made his way toward the upstairs bathroom. Naruto, he was glad to see, was right on his heels.

"Where ya goin'?" he asked.

"To get my hairbrush," Neji answered. "The knots in my hair are getting annoying."

"You should have known that would happen."

"I did know it would happen," Neji told him. "And now I'm doing something about it. Only catch is, I may need your help brushing my hair out."

"Cool," Naruto said. "You know I love your hair."

"So you've said," Neji commented. _About a million times, _he silently added.

Neji really did love the fact that Naruto loved his hair so much. He was always touching it and admiring it. It made Neji even more vain than he already was. His hair was by far his favorite quality about himself, and he cherished it.

Neji picked up his hairbrush from the bathroom counter and headed to his room. Naruto followed. Neji handed the hairbrush to Naruto and got up on the bed, motioning for Naruto to sit behind him. Naruto and Neji sat on their knees and Naruto hesitantly ran the brush through Neji's hair. He caught a knot and quickly started to apologize.

"I'm not a porcelain doll," Neji chuckled. "Just rake through it. I promise, you're not going to hurt me."

After that, Naruto got a little bolder. He pulled the hairbrush through Neji's hair, untangling it with newfound ease. A few stubborn knots had Neji wincing slightly, but he made sure Naruto didn't notice.

When Naruto finished, he set the hairbrush on the bed and slowly ran his fingers through Neji's hair, checking for any missed tangles. Neji leaned into the soft caresses and hummed contentedly. Naruto moved his hair away from his neck and lightly lightly kissed and sucked at his throat. Naruto slipped Neji's shirt over his head and traced kisses along his shoulder blades.

Neji knew immediately where this was headed.

He turned slowly to face his lover, and Naruto's eyes were already pleasantly clouded over, and a shade darker than usual. He traced thepad of his thumb along Naruto's bottom lip, and Naruto nipped his thumb lightly. Neji kissed him, slow and sensual, and when their tongues met, they shared a moan. Neji's heart was suddenly racing, and the way Naruto was touching him was driving him insane. He knew that if they were going to go to the car like he had promised, they would have to do it soon, before their bodies took over and they ended up fucking like rabbits on the bed again.

Neji broke off the now heated kiss to speak, only to have Naruto attack his neck again.

"Naruto," he choked out, and Naruto's hand was suddenly in his pants. "Oh, God. Let's move to the car."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, taking his hand away from Neji's hardening arousal.

They grabbed the bottle of lube and bolted down the spiral staircase and out the front door in no time. Naruto jumped in the back seat and tugged his jeans and boxers down. Neji dropped the remainder of his clothes next to the Mustang and got in the back seat, straddling Naruto's hips. He put his hands on Naruto's cheeks and lightly ran his fingers across the adorable whisker marks on his face, before leaning in to kiss him.

The taste of Naruto's lips and tongue was intoxicating. Every time they kissed, Naruto tasted different. Right now, he tasted like ramen, and Neji had to admit, ramen tasted much better on Naruto's tongue. Neji groaned into the kiss and fisted his hands in Naruto's hair. Through his lust-hazed stupor, Neji faintly heard the sound of the lube being opened, but didn't register it. Then he felt two fingers glide easily inside him.

"Ah, fuck," he murmured into Naruto's mouth.

"You're still pretty stretched from earlier," Naruto told him against his lips.

With that said, Neji wasted no time slapping Naruto's hand away from his entrance and guiding his erection there instead.

"Hold on," Naruto chuckled. "Lube first."

Neji huffed, and waited impatiently while Naruto coated himself with lube. Finally, he lowered himself on Naruto's length and gasped. Being filled by Naruto was literally the best feeling in the world. It made him feel lightheaded, overheated, and completely euphoric. Neji was 100% sure that there was no other man on the planet who would be able to make him feel the way Naruto did. Making love to Naruto never got old. It was like the first time, every single time.

Neji started to move, riding Naruto slowly at first, speeding up when he heard Naruto's breathing coming out in short, desperate pants. He'd learned very quickly how to read Naruto's face and breathing patterns during sex.

"God, baby," Naruto said, looking directly into Neji's eyes. "You feel so good."

Neji fucking loved it when Naruto called him that. It made him feel special, almost as if their relationship wasn't hanging on Uchiha Fucking Sasuke. Neji dreaded the day when he would lose his lover to that bastard. He needed to stop thinking about it, especially while they were here. Like Naruto had said, that family didn't exist for the next five days. It was just the two of them.

Neji's thoughts were brought to a halt when Naruto grabbed his hips and thrust up, pounding himself directly into Neji's prostate. Neji cried out and rested his forehead on Naruto's. They kissed deeply, and Neji dug his fingers into Naruto's shoulders. Naruto thrust again, and stars danced behind Neji's eyes. Both their bodies were slick with sweat and they were sliding against each other with every movement they made. Neji's erection was trapped between them and every time he moved, the friction along his arousal was just getting more intense. He sped up his movements even more, and Naruto was matching his speed with his own thrusts.

It didn't take long after that. With one final upward thrust from Naruto, Neji threw his head back and climaxed, his mouth hanging open in a silent scream. He was boneless against Naruto, while Naruto continued to thrust wildly inside him. At long last, Naruto let out a strangled cry and came.

They stayed like that for a long while, with Neji in Naruto's lap, and Naruto still lodged inside him. They were both having trouble catching their breath. Neji pushed himself up enough to kiss Naruto quickly, then collapsed again on Naruto's chest. Naruto was slowly running his fingers through Neji's hair, and Neji honestly thought he could fall asleep like this, pressed against Naruto's chest with his boyfriend running his hand through his hair.

"Baby?" Naruto said quietly.

"Hmm?" Neji hummed, already dozing off.

"I can't," Naruto choked out. "I can't breathe."

Neji sighed and braced his hands on the leather seat behind Naruto, pushing his upper body up and off of him. Naruto sucked in a sharp breath, a tad too dramatically if you asked Neji. He gave Naruto a look.

"Are you trying to imply that I'm fat?" he asked.

"No," Naruto laughed. "You're just dead weight after sex."

"You're one to talk."

Neji swung his leg over Naruto and flopped down next to him on the seat. Naruto put his arm around Neji's shoulder and pulled him close. Neji rested his head on Naruto, a contented smile tugging at his lips. He really wished this vacation could last forever. They had no concerns other than each other. It was just... perfect.

Neji sighed happily.

"What's with that sigh?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, nothing," Neji said dismissively. "I was just thinking about how there's no other place I'd rather be right now."

"Same here," Naruto said sweetly, tilting Neji's chin up to kiss him softly.

Naruto bent down, reaching into his pants pocket and pulling out his phone. Neji saw him turn the camera on, and he turned the phone around so the camera on the back was facing them.

"Smile, baby," Naruto said, and snapped a picture.

He turned the phone back around to examine the picture. He grinned broadly, then showed it to Neji. That picture was perfect. Naruto was grinning his mega-watt grin, while Neji's head was resting on his shoulder and he was smiling slightly. The sunset was visible behind them, and it was casting shadows over their faces. They looked unbelievably happy.

"You should send that to me," Neji suggested, smiling up at Naruto.

"You like it?"

"I love it," Neji told him.

Naruto saved the picture and sent it to Neji, whose phone sounded just a few short moments later from his jeans pocket next to the car. Neji expected him to put his phone away at this point, but he continued to type on it.

"Now what are you doing?" Neji asked.

"Uploading the picture to Facebook and Twitter," Naruto responded, smiling.

Neji rolled his eyes. Of course Naruto was uploading the picture to his social networks.

The sun soon disappeared beneath the horizon, and there was a chill in the air. Neji and Naruto got out of the Mustang and made their way inside to shower and get ready for bed. After their shower, Naruto suggested watching a movie before going to bed, and half-way through said movie, Neji was wishing he hadn't let Naruto pick what they watched. It was one of Naruto's favorite horror movies, and it was positively loaded with gore. Neji kept hiding his face in Naruto's chest, and Naruto kept laughing at him.

After the movie, they settled into bed for the night, but Neji couldn't seem to sleep. That movie was still weighing on his mind, and every creak in the house had him shaking. Naruto was fast asleep, snoring lightly beside Neji, who was practically clutching on to him for dear life. A remarkably loud thump startled him enough to jump. He felt extremely foolish, letting that stupid horror movie get to him so much.

Naruto had stopped snoring and was instead chuckling beside him.

"Aww, baby," he teased. "Did my movie scare you?"

"Shut up," Neji grumbled it return.

"I know something that'll take your mind off it," Naruto said, kissing Neji's neck.

Perhaps once more wouldn't hurt.

-OoOoOoO-

On the second day, Neji stayed true to his promise and took Naruto out back to the dojo. Naruto figured that with fifteen years of kung fu training, he'd be able to keep up with Neji, but Neji's fighting style was like nothing he'd ever seen. He was far faster than Naruto, and the Hyuuga's Gentle Fist style focused on using open-palm thrusts to vital points to incapacitate your opponent. Naruto was definitely at a disadvantage here.

Neji, for his part, seemed to be getting a kick out of seeing Naruto so helpless. He would laugh every time he landed a blow, and every time Naruto would unsuccessfully try to reciprocate.

One particularly hard open-palmed blow to his sternum sent Naruto flying and knocked the wind out of him. Neji was practically howling with laughter. Naruto tried to get up, but Neji was suddenly on top of him, holding his hands down and laughing hysterically. Naruto glared at him, and Neji just shook his head and kissed him.

They ended up making love on the floor of the dojo after that, and Naruto was suddenly okay with the fact that Neji could easily kick his ass.

-OoOoOoO-

On the third day, they went to a swanky restaurant for dinner, and the hostess-along with every waiter and waitress in the place-knew Neji. Their waitress was a ridiculous flirt, giggling to Neji and completely ignoring Naruto. Naruto wanted nothing more than to jump over the table and fuck Neji right in front of her, just to show her that she would never have him.

Neji seemed to notice Naruto's jealousy, and took his hand across the table to comfort him.

They stopped at a liquor store of their way back to the house and bought two bottles of expensive champaign. When they got back to the house, Neji pulled two champaign flutes from the cabinet and filled them, walking out to the back deck and turning on the hot tub (wait... hot tub?).

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Naruto asked, motioning toward the bubbling water.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Neji shrugged.

"But," Naruto stammered, "I didn't bring any swim trunks."

"Neither did I," Neji said, suggestively raising a delicate brow.

Naruto thought for a moment, and then everything seemed to click into place.

Once the water heated up, they stripped down and carefully got into the hot tub, bringing their glasses of champaign with them. The bottles stayed within reach.

After finishing off the first bottle and putting a large dent in the second, they were both slightly red in the face (Although, Naruto reasoned, that could also be from the heat of the water), and Neji's eyes seemed pretty glazed. His hair was falling over his shoulders, sticking to his chest from the water. He finished off his glass and set it down, then slowly made his way across the hot tub to sit next to Naruto. They kissed for a long time, and while they didn't have sex, Naruto learned just how skilled Neji was with his hands.

-OoOoOoO-

On the fourth and final full day, Naruto and Neji didn't leave the bedroom at all. They made love all day long. They were touching each other everywhere, and they simply couldn't take their eyes off each other.

"I love you so much, baby," Naruto whispered, thrusting into Neji for what seemed like the millionth time since they'd been here.

"I love you, too, Naruto," Neji gasped. "So much."

They released together-they had been doing that for awhile now-and collapsed side by side on the bed. They held each other close, both knowing what the other was thinking.

"I don't wanna go home tomorrow," Naruto complained.

"Yeah, I know," Neji sighed in return. "I just want to stay here with you forever."

They dozed off for awhile, only to wake up after the sun had set and make love again. And again. The sun came up a short time later, and they reluctantly packed their bags, getting ready to leave their love nest and return to the real world, where their jobs and other various distractions awaited.

Neji didn't bother to wash the sheets as his uncle had requested.

With one last forlorn look at the best vacation he'd ever had, Naruto got in the Mustang and Neji drove down the long drive, toward home.

Three hours later, Neji was parking out front of his house. They went inside and Naruto grabbed up his car keys and kissed Neji one last time before going home.

The drive home was torture. He felt almost bare without Neji by his side. He _was_ kind of looking forward to seeing Sasuke again, but he still felt lost without his lover. So it was with a heavy heart that he parked his car in front of the apartment complex and climbed up the staircase. He unlocked the apartment door and stepped inside.

Sasuke attacked him as soon as he walked inside, hugging Naruto around the neck and burying his face in his blond spikes.

"Miss me?" Naruto asked.

"It was so fucking _weird_ without you here," Sasuke said, finally letting go of Naruto. "Don't ever do that again."

They sat on the couch and caught up, talking for hours. Naruto was pretty vague about what exactly happened on his vacation with Neji. He left out the fact that they had sex over and over and over again. He just wasn't sure if Sasuke could handle it, what with his jealousy issues and all.

Deep down, Naruto was kinda glad to be home. He'd be able to sleep in his own bed again, and he loved that fucking bed. However, he had to go to work tomorrow, and he definitely wasn't looking forward to that. But Neji would be bringing him lunch, and he _always _looked forward to that.

Sasuke treated Naruto to Hokage again, and they seemed to pick up right where they left off. Their best friend status was back, and it was nice to talk to Sasuke without worrying he was going to jump him at any time. Minato was glad to see Naruto, and asked how his vacation was. He sat with them for awhile, making small talk.

They went home after their meal and went to bed shortly after. Naruto briefly wondered what he should get Sasuke for his birthday, but fell asleep before deciding.

Naruto's dreams that night were filled with memories of his vacation with Neji, and he slept like a baby.

-OoOoOoO-

**A/N: I just want to remind everyone that this story is unbeta'd, so if you caught any typos or anything of the sort, kiss my ass. Just kidding! I love all my readers, even the grammar and spelling Nazis! Reviews?**


	7. Chapter 6 Alternate

**Disclaimer: I am currently in the middle of negotiations with Kishimoto-sensei for him to sign the rights to Naruto over to me. Nah, I'm just kidding. I do not-and never will-own Naruto.**

**Warnings: Neji as seme. Don't like? Don't read. This is, after all, just an alternate version of chapter 6.**

**A/N: [SERIOUSLY. READ THIS.] Okay, so if you read the Author's Note from the last chapter, you already know that this is the alternate version of chapter 6. If you **_**didn't**_** read the Author's Note from the last chapter, then you're probably not reading this one, either... Anyway... I just want to sincerely thank everybody that wanted to see Neji top. This is honestly how I wanted to do this chapter, but my readers' opinions are important to me, and most of them didn't want to see Neji be seme, unfortunately. So for those of you that either wanted it this way, or those of you who are just reading this for shits and giggles, I present you Chapter 6 of Everything You Want-Featuring Seme!Neji...R&R**

**Mood music for this chapter: "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction. Not because it has anything to do with the chapter. Just because, since the first time I heard it, I haven't been able to get it out of my head. .**

-OoOoOoO-

The mild spring gradually gave way to sweltering summer heat, and Sasuke was beginning to wonder if he'd ever get his blond. Naruto and Neji were happier than ever, and Gaara had actually suggested that he and Sasuke attempt a real relationship. So, for the past couple of months, Sasuke and Gaara had really gotten to know each other on a more personal level, and while Sasuke _definitely_ couldn't say he was in love with Gaara, he couldn't deny the fact that he had some sort of feelings for the redhead. Every time they talked, Sasuke found himself hanging on every word Gaara said. Gaara was, it seemed, _extremely_ intelligent. He had gone to some Ivy League university in the U.S. and graduated at the top of his class. However, he was a trust fund baby, and hadn't had to work a day in his life. He talked at length about how he hated his two older siblings and his father because he felt they blamed him for the untimely death of his mother, who had died giving birth to him.

Sasuke could literally listen to him talk for hours.

As for Sasuke and Naruto, things were more awkward than ever. Their bickering had come to a complete standstill, and they were overly polite when they talked. Sasuke still caught Naruto staring from time to time when they were alone. They put on a happy face in front of their parents, but that only resulted in sad looks from their elders. Sasuke talked to Itachi every day, and his brother was still convinced that Sasuke and Naruto would live happily ever after together (though not in those exact words). While Sasuke wanted to blame his brother's optimism on him being a hopeless romantic, he knew he couldn't. Itachi was quite the opposite, actually. He was always calculating and logical, and for Itachi to base his opinions solely on his emotions was absurd. He never did such things. This led Sasuke to believe that his brother knew what he was talking about. He tried hard not to doubt Itachi, and it gave him hope.

It was July now, and Sasuke's birthday was fast approaching. There would be a party, as there was every year, but Sasuke wasn't looking forward to it. It would be a day full of forced smiles and forced gratitude, and Naruto would probably be the only one to not give him a gift. He felt his best friend slowly slipping through his fingers, and what hurt the most was that it was his fault. Sasuke wanted nothing more than to turn back time to before he had met Gaara, so he could tell Naruto how he felt and avoid all this nonsense.

On top of all that, Naruto and Neji were leaving for the Hyuuga vacation house first thing this morning. Sasuke wanted to stop him, tell Naruto not to go, but Naruto was really looking forward to this. Although Sasuke hadn't exactly been the ideal best friend lately, he knew it was still his duty to make sure Naruto was as happy as possible. And as much as it killed Sasuke to admit it, Neji was what made Naruto truly happy. He had already interfered enough. It was time now to heed Neji's warning and back off.

-OoOoOoO-

Naruto was just getting out of the shower when his phone rang. He picked it up from the bathroom counter and grinned.

"_Ohayo,_ Neji!" He exclaimed into the phone.

"_Ohayo,_ Naruto," Neji replied. Naruto could hear the smile in his voice. "Are you up?"

"Yup. Just got out of the shower."

"Ooh," Neji purred. "Are you still naked?"

Naruto shook his head, grinning from ear to ear.

"Pervert," he laughed.

"You never answered my question," Neji pointed out.

"Yes," Naruto finally said. "I'm still naked."

"How about some phone sex before our little road trip?" Neji suggested.

"Nope," Naruto smiled. "I'll see you in a little bit. I just have to get dressed then I'll be on my way."

"Fine," Neji sighed. "See you soon. Love you."

"Love you, too, baby," Naruto responded, then he hung up the phone.

Naruto usually wasn't fond of pet names. "Teme" and "dobe" had been lighthearted insults for years that had somehow morphed into pet names. But generally, Naruto was against "honey" and "sweetheart" and even "baby", but with Neji, he just couldn't help himself. He'd been calling Neji "baby" for about a month now. He wasn't exactly sure how it started, he just knew Neji lit up like a Christmas tree every time he said it. It turned him to complete goo every single time Neji looked at him like that, so he kept it up, and Neji's reaction never disappointed him.

Naruto dressed and brushed his teeth quickly and packed his toothbrush in his bag. He headed toward the door, and instead, went to Sasuke's bedroom door. He knocked quietly and waited.

"What?" Sasuke snapped irritably.

"I just wanted to let you know I'm leaving."

"Fine. Bye."

Naruto sighed.

"I'll see you in five days, teme," Naruto told him, frustrated. "Don't call unless you're dying."

"Like you would care," he heard Sasuke mutter.

That was it. He'd had just about enough of Sasuke's emo bullshit. Naruto swung open the bedroom door and walked over to the bed. Sasuke was cocooned in his comforter, his bloodshot eyes staring at nothing in particular.

"You're such a fucking woman, ya emo prick," Naruto scoffed.

"Fuck off, dobe," Sasuke mumbled into his blanket.

"Whatever. Don't forget to pick up your dry cleaning. I won't be able to pick it up for you this time."

"Hn."

Naruto turned to walk out of Sasuke's room, and Sasuke caught him by the wrist.

"Have fun," he whispered. "I'll... miss you."

Naruto smiled.

"I'll miss you, too, teme," he said quietly. "See you in five days."

"Five days," Sasuke confirmed, letting go of Naruto's wrist.

Naruto could have sworn he heard Sasuke sniffle as he closed the bedroom door behind him. He didn't know why Sasuke was still acting this way. He and Gaara seemed to be doing remarkable well (Naruto had to admit, he was getting mildly jealous), and he made sure Neji and Sasuke were almost _never_ in the same place for very long. He wasn't sure what exactly had imploded between the two, but there had been some serious hostility on both ends for a few months now.

Naruto packed his bags in his car and took off toward Neji's house. He wondered for a moment if Neji's car had air conditioning, then laughed at himself. Neji's car was a fucking _convertable_. Who needs air conditioning when you can just put the top down?

Naruto parked his car in Neji's garage and unloaded his bags from the trunk. He threw them in the back seat of the Mustang and let himself inside Neji's house. Neji peeked his head out of the bathroom, toothbrush hanging from his mouth, and smiled as best he could. Naruto took his shoes off at the door and walked into the bathroom. He stood behind Neji, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's waist and burying his face in his long chocolate locks. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of Neji's citrus shampoo. He loved the smell of Neji. It was completely intoxicating.

"Mmm, I missed you, baby," Naruto mumbled into Neji's hair.

"You just saw me yesterday," Neji reminded him around his toothbrush, his eyes lighting up.

"So?" Naruto chuckled. "I still missed you. If that's a crime, arrest me."

"Naruto, I don't think you could contain yourself if I put handcuffs on you," Neji said as he rinsed his toothbrush off.

"You're probably right," Naruto agreed. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try it out."

"Maybe I'll buy a set of handcuffs then," Neji smirked, turning around in Naruto's arms.

He brought his lips to Naruto's, and they kissed deeply. Naruto wove his fingers in Neji's hair and tilted his head back to have better access to the thin column of throat in front of him. He kissed and nibbled at the skin, and Neji whimpered, balling Naruto's tee-shirt in his fists.

"Wanna-mmm-move to the bedroom?" Naruto asked against Neji's neck.

"Nope," Neji said simply, gently shoving Naruto off him. "You turned phone sex down, so I'm turning sex down."

"C'mon, baby," Naruto husked, attacking Neji's neck again and toying with the button on his skinny jeans. "Just a quickie? We have time."

He lightly sunk his teeth into Neji's collar bone. Neji gasped and arched his back, and Naruto knew he had him.

"Fine," Neji conceded. "I guess once wouldn't hurt."

"I can make it hurt if you want me to," Naruto said seductively, palming Neji through his jeans.

"Just get me to the bedroom."

Naruto led Neji down the hall to his bedroom. Their quickie hastily turned into an hour-long romp, and when they were both sated, they dressed again and got ready for their road trip.

"We're behind schedule now, thanks to your hormones," Neji complained as he locked up the house.

"I didn't hear _you_ bitching," Naruto countered. "I heard you screaming my name, but never once did I hear, 'Hurry up, Naruto, we're going to be late'."

"Yeah, yeah," Neji laughed, putting on his aviator sunglasses and getting in the Mustang. "Let's just go."

Naruto slid into the passenger seat and put his own sunglasses on. Neji put the top down and Naruto got out his pack of cigarettes. Okay, this needs some explaining. When the shit hit the fan with Sasuke a few months back, Naruto felt himself getting more and more stressed as the weeks wore on. Deidara, who knew everything by this point thanks to Itachi, had innocently offered Naruto a smoke at work one day to help calm his nerves. Needless to say, Naruto gladly accepted and was now back to smoking a pack a day. He knew it was bad for him, he truly did, but the relaxed feeling he got after having a cigarette (whether it be after one of Sasuke's infuriatingly snide remarks, or even after a round of phenominal sex with Neji) was almost worth the risk of lung cancer, in his eyes.

Sasuke was, of course, completely disgusted that Naruto had taken up smoking again. Neji, on the other hand, was a different story. For some reason, he found the act itself insanely sexy, and practically begged for open-mouthed kisses after Naruto finished a cigarette. He said it gave Naruto the bad-boy image, and Neji had always been attracted to bad boys. Naruto thought it was hilarious that Neji was so turned on by his unhealthy habit.

So when Naruto lit his cigarette, he noticed Neji watching him out of the corner of his eye. Naruto turned to him and gave him a look. Neji laughed and shook his head, and they took off.

Neji left Naruto in charge of the radio, and they listened to cheesy Top 40 hits, singing the songs everybody knew at the tops of their lungs, making up their own lyrics as they sang. Naruto was already having a blast, and they'd only been on the road for about an hour. Having the top down in the Mustang was an amazing feeling. They sped down back country roads, singing and laughing and exchanging loving glances. Neji's hair was everywhere. The wind whipped it around the car, and Naruto knew Neji would regret not putting it up later when he tried to get a hairbrush through it. At the moment, though, he didn't seem to care. He was smiling more than Naruto had ever seen him smile before, and Naruto thought it was absolutely beautiful. He was falling deeper and deeper in love with the Hyuuga, and it saddened him to think that one day he and Neji would break up. He pushed the thought from his mind, deciding instead to cherish the time he had with Neji. He leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, and Neji turned to him and smiled. God, Naruto loved that smile.

After driving for a little over three hours, Neji pulled into a long driveway lined with cherry blossom trees. There was a gentle breeze blowing through, and the cherry blossom petals danced around them.

"Wow," Naruto breathed, "this is beautiful."

"This is nothing," Neji told him. "Wait until you see the house."

The driveway wound this way and that, until finally, a gigantic house came into view. It was easily the biggest house Naruto had ever seen, much bigger than the Uchiha estate. The architecture, Naruto was surprised to see, was predominantly Western, with a huge bay window overlooking the drive and a balcony coming off the second floor. Neji parked at the side of the house and they got out of the car. They grabbed their bags from the back seat and Neji unlocked the door.

"Welcome," he said, "to _Casa del Hyuuga._"

The house, if possible, was even bigger than it looked from the outside. There was a crystal chandelier hanging in the walkway, and Naruto couldn't wait until it got dark so they could turn the light on and watch the crystals glisten.

Naruto and Neji toed their shoes off at the door and ventured further inside. Everything was white. Not boring, sterile, hospital white, but pure, shining, gorgeous white. The couches and chairs in the sitting room were white, and the end tables were a dark, contrasting cherry that really brought everything together. There was expensive-looking art all over the walls and a shiny chess set on the coffee table. Naruto wondered to himself why there was no dust. The house clearly hadn't been occupied in forever, but everything was pristine.

"My uncle hired cleaners to come in yesterday to make sure everything was perfect." Neji explained, as if he could read Naruto's thoughts.

"This is... amazing."

"Let me give you the tour," Neji offered, and took Naruto by the hand.

Neji led Naruto around the massive house. There was a gigantic kitchen that they would need to stock with food for their time here, with an elegant dining area attached. There were two bedrooms on the first floor, but neji said they wouldn't be using either one. There was also a bathroom on the first floor, and Naruto could have sworn all the fixtures were solid gold, but that couldn't be right, he reasoned; he'd have to investigate on his own later. They climbed the spiral staircase and went upstairs. There were three bedrooms upstairs, and Neji showed him Hinata's and her sister's. Finally, they reached the end of the hall, and Neji smiled at him.

"And this," he said, stopping at the door, "is my room. Now, before I open the door, I should warn you: nothing in this room has changed since I was 18, so it still looks like a teenager's room. There are posters and pictures on the walls. This place was my home away from home. It still is," he admitted. "Are you ready?"

"Hell yeah!" Naruto exclaimed. "I get to see what you were like as a teenager! Let's go!"

Neji grinned widely and opened the door, revealing the largest of the upstairs bedrooms. The walls were, like Neji had said, positively littered with pictures and posters, and the bare portions of the walls were painted a deep navy blue. The bed in the center of the room was easily as big as Neji's bed back home, with navy blue comforters and sky blue pillowcases.

Naruto walked around the large room, admiring the snapshots taped to the wall. Neji was _much_ younger, with a look on his face that was reminiscent of the look Sasuke always wears. One picture in particular caught Naruto's eye. It was a photograph of Neji and Hinata, in some sort of dojo, both in fighting stances with serious looks on their faces.

Neji was suddenly standing behind Naruto.

"That dojo is here," Neji told him. "Out back. Maybe if you're lucky," he pressed his body right up against Naruto's back, put his lips against his ear, and purred, "I can take you out there and show you how a real man fights."

For some reason, just the way Neji said that caused Naruto to shudder violently. He turned around to face his partner, and already, Neji was giving him that look that always made him weak in the knees and instantaneously aroused. And then a sudden thought occurred to Naruto:

They were alone. They were cut off from the rest of civilization for the next _five days_. There would be absolutely nothing to distract them from this much needed Naruto and Neji time; no work, no emo roommate, to time restrictions. For the next five days, they could devote every waking hour to each other. Naruto was positively giddy. He silently wondered of they would leave the bed at all. He knew they were like a couple of horny teenagers, but Naruto didn't care. Sex was suddenly a satisfying and beautiful experience for him, and he just couldn't have enough of that wonderful feeling. He found himself wondering again-as he had so many times before-is Sasuke could ever make him feel the way Neji made him feel.

_No, _he silently stopped himself. _Get Sasuke the fuck out of your head for the next five days. This vacation is for you and Neji._

In a sudden moment of inspiration, Naruto dropped his bags on the floor and grabbed Neji, kissing him with everything he had. kissing Neji never got old. It made his stomach do flips and his heart pound fast in his ribcage. He took Neji's bags out of his hands and discarded them next to his own. He slipped Neji's tank top over his head and pushed him toward the enormous bed. He picked Neji up by the thighs and carried him the rest of the way. He deposited Neji on the plush mattress and unbuttoned his pants, dropping to his knees next to the bed.

"Wait," Neji breathed. "We should unpack."

"Fuck that," Naruto snarled, forcing Neji's butt off the bed so he could pull his jeans down.

"If we don't do it now, we never will," Neji argued feebly.

"I want you to top," Naruto said, pulling Neji's jeans all the way off and effectively changing the subject.

"What?" Neji gasped. "But I thought..."

"I know what you thought," Naruto said, locking eyes with Neji. "But I decided I want it to be you."

Neji was speechless.

There was still something he wanted to do for Neji that he hadn't done for him yet. Though he was sure it wouldn't hold a candle to when Neji did it for him, or when Sasuke did, for that matter (_Shut up, brain! _He screamed internally), he still wanted to do it. He wasn't accustomed to it; he'd only done it a few times before, and generally wasn't a fan, but for some reason, things were different with Neji. So, he locked eyes with Neji for the briefest moment, and wrapped his mouth around the hard length. Neji gasped and let his head fall back on the bed, and Naruto could practically see all thoughts of unpacking leaving his mind. He licked slowly up the shaft, bringing forth a breathy whimper from Neji's slightly parted lips. In truth, this was Naruto's favorite thing about sex with Neji. The sounds he made were sexy, and Naruto loved the fact that those sounds were intended just for him. It made him possessive, and if possible, even hornier. It made him want to plunge himself deep into that tight heat and coax even more delicious sounds from his lover. But no. Not this time. This time, it was Naruto's turn to be uke, and he was sure he'd be making his own sounds for Neji to enjoy in no time.

Neji's hips were moving of their own accord, and Naruto grabbed them, pushing them harshly onto the bed.

"Stop that," he reprimanded, removing his mouth from Neji for a moment. "Not everyone has the gift of no gag reflex like you do."

"Conversation later," Neji panted as he pushed Naruto's head back down, and Naruto went willingly.

Naruto dipped his tongue into the slit at the tip of Neji's cock, tasting the salt of pre-come. Naruto swirled his tongue around the head, and then took in as much of Neji as he could.

"Oh, God," Neji gasped, fisting the comforter and trying to buck his hips again. "Whatever you do, Naruto, don't fucking stop."

Huh. That sounded weirdly familiar, and Naruto felt the guilt wash over him for the millionth time. He knew now that what he had done with Sasuke was beyond wrong, and every time he and Neji were intimate, he felt extremely guilty. He had almost told Neji the whole truth quite a few time, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He pushed the guilt away-again, for the millionth time-and went back to work. He bobbed his head quickly, sucking hard and lightly scraping his teeth along the shaft. Neji's breaths had become quiet whimpers and moans, and Naruto knew he was lost in pleasure. He lightly teased Neji's entrance, just barely brushing a finger across it, and Neji tried in vain to push down on it. Naruto pushed his finger against Neji's rim, slipping in just to the first knuckle. Neji whined and tried again to push himself down.

"Okay," Neji breathed. "Now you should stop, or else I may come."

Naruto reluctantly pulled his mouth away from Neji, took his finger out of his ass, and looked up at him.

"I love you so fucking much," Neji said, letting his head fall back on the bed.

"I love you, too," Naruto remarked. "Now where's the lube? I have a pretty desperate situation here that isn't gonna fix itself."

Naruto's arousal was feeling utterly neglected, and his cargo shorts were a little too tight for his liking.

"Blue backpack," Neji said, pointing in the general direction of his bags. "Left side pocket."

Naruto stood and walked over to the forgotten bags. He unzipped the side pocket of the bag Neji specified and pulled out the bottle, regarding it for a long moment. There was definitely not enough lube here fir five days of nonstop sex.

"_Please_ tell me we have another bottle," Naruto said as he walked back to the bed.

"I'm not stupid," Neji scoffed. "We have _two_ more bottles, just in case."

Naruto smiled. Of course. Leave it to Neji to be prepared. He dropped the bottle of lube on the mattress as Neji maneuvered himself to the head of the bed. Naruto undressed quickly, dropping his clothes in a pile on the floor. He climbed overtop of Neji and kissed him deeply.

"I think our positions need to be switched this time," Neji smirked.

Naruto smiled and rolled them over so Neji was hovering over him. He grabbed the bottle of lube and positioned himself between Naruto's legs, pushing them further apart. He opened the bottle of lube and looked at Naruto.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, Neji," Naruto confirmed. "I love you, and I want to experience this with you."

"Okay," Neji breathed, dribbling some of the slippery liquid on his fingers. He positioned his finger at Naruto's entrance, and looked at Naruto. Naruto nodded, and Neji slowly pushed his finger inside. Naruto gasped, and let his head fall back on to the pillow. Neji thrust his finger in and out, then added another. He curled his fingers and brushed something deep inside Naruto that caused him to let out a stupidly loud moan. Neji did it again. And Naruto moaned louder. So Neji did it yet again, looking at Naruto expectantly. He didn't get disappointed. Naruto moaned again, and Neji was grinning from ear to ear. Neji added the final finger, and Naruto hissed at the intrusion. Neji stretched Naruto wide, preparing him for what was to come.

"Neji, I'm ready," he panted breathlessly.

"You're sure?" Neji asked again as he slid his fingers out of Naruto.

"Just do it," Naruto said, and Neji lined himself up with Naruto's entrance. "All at once, like I did for you."

"Okay."

Neji slicked his erection with a good amount of lube and put Naruto's legs over his shoulders. He pushed himself deep inside Naruto, and Naruto cried out.

It felt like fire. His entire body started to heat up as Neji stretched his body to its limits, and he whined. Neji was holding his hips agonizingly still, and all Naruto wanted was for him to move.

"Please," he gasped. "Move."

"I don't know if I can," Neji breathed in return. "It's so good, Naruto. _So_ good."

Slowly, Neji moved his hips. He brushed that same spot inside Naruto, and Naruto groaned. His legs fell to the mattress, and Neji thrust deeper. Naruto dug his fingernails deep in Neji's back. His world had been turned upside down, and he just needed something to hols on to. Neji thrust harder, and Naruto found himself crying out. Neji kissed him deeply, with an intensity that made Naruto feel drunk. The pain was all but gone, replaced with a pleasure he hadn't expected. For some reason, he was loving this, and he was really glad it was Neji he was experiencing this with. Neji grabbed his hips and thrust sharply forward. Naruto was crying out in ecstasy, raking his fingernails along Neji's skin, surely leaving welts all over his back. Neji brought his forehead to Naruto's and continued thrusting savagely into Naruto's tight heat. Neji kissed him again, their tongues battling for dominance in Naruto's mouth.

"Fuck," Naruto groaned, breaking off the kiss. "I'm so close, baby. But I need you to touch me."

Neji grasped Naruto's weeping erection and pumped it hard. After just a few quick thrusts, Naruto was coming, hard. Neji screwed his eyes shut as he reached his blinding climax, his release covering Naruto's inner walls.

Neji slowly slid himself out of Naruto, and Naruto shuddered.

So that's what it was like being uke. Admittedly, he loved it. Not as much as he liked being top, of course, but it was still amazing.

"Thanks," Neji finally said, breaking the peaceful silence between them.

"For what, baby?" Naruto asked, turning on his side to face his lover.

"For helping me break in this bed," Neji grinned.

"You've never had sex in this bed before?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"Nope," Neji answered. "Usually when I'm here, my family is here too. I think it would be a little too much for them to handle. I mean, you should have heard my uncle when I told him I was bringing you here. He was like, 'Now, Neji, I may not know _exactly_ how everything works between you two in the bedroom. But that does not mean that I'm naive to the implications of gay sex. Be sure to wash the damn sheets, kid.' I swear, it was so hard not to laugh."

Neji's voice had dropped an octave when he was impersonating his uncle, and he had a look on his face that reminded him of Fugaku, Sasuke's father (Dammit, he was doing it again). Naruto suddenly never wanted to meet Neji's uncle.

"So what's your family like?" Naruto asked, curious.

"Most of them are okay," Neji said. "My uncle is a little overbearing, and Hinata's sister is a stuck-up little brat, but everyone else is great."

"What about your parents?" Naruto wanted to know.

Neji looked up at the ceiling, clasping his hands behind his head.

"That's kind of a tender subject, actually," he said quietly, then turned to Naruto, propping his head up on his hand. "I never knew my mom," he explained, "and I lost my dad when I was just a kid. My uncle raised me most of my life. I don't even really remember my dad..."

"I'm sorry," Naruto said, rubbing Neji's arm softly.

Deep down, Naruto was wondering just what happened to Neji's dad. But he knew he couldn't ask. Neji had literally just said it was a tender subject. He really didn't want to push his luck, but Naruto could not live his entire life without knowing. He had a feeling it had been some huge tragedy, and Naruto wanted to do what he could to comfort his boyfriend.

Neji, who had been picking at the comforter, looked up at Naruto, then looked back down.

"You can ask, Naruto," he said, and Naruto should have known Neji would know exactly what was on his mind. Neji looked up at him again, and there was the faintest hint of a smile on his face.

"Okay..." Naruto began, and he tried to stop his heart from racing. "So," he continued, still nervous as all hell, "what exactly happened to your dad?"

Neji locked eyes with Naruto.

"When I was six," he said, "my dad killed himself. Nobody knows why. All anyone knows is that one day, he was perfectly fine, and the next..." he paused. "The next day, my uncle found him hanging in his office. His funeral was the worst day of my life. I didn't fully understand at the time. I was only six, after all. I just knew I'd never see him again. It was even harder on my uncle. They were twins, so they always had a strange connection. He's always said he had a feeling something was wrong; said he knew for weeks. He still blames himself, and can't look at me right. I'm all he has left of his twin brother. It's not an easy thing to live up to."

Neji's voice was even the whole time he spoke, but Naruto could see the despair behind his eyes. He pulled Neji close and rubbed his hair. Neji held him, and he held Neji. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, and when they finally parted, Neji's eyes were wet and red.

"Oh, Neji," Naruto comforted. "Don't cry, baby. I'm here."

"I'm sorry," Neji said quietly, wiping his eyes. "I haven't talked about ti in so long. You are now one of the only people outside the Hyuuga family who knows the whole story. I just... wanted you to find out from me rather than Sasuke." Naruto gave him a look. "Yes, Sasuke knows. The Uchihas have been business associates with the Hyuugas for generations. They know everything that happens in the Hyuuga estate; business and personal. My father's death was both."

"Can I ask you a favor?" Naruto asked.

"Of course."

"Let's not talk about the Uchihas for the rest of the time we're here," Naruto said. "For the next five days, that family doesn't exist. You and I are the only two people in the world for the next five days. Is that okay?"

Neji smiled. It was a real, genuine smile. Naruto felt himself melt inside.

"Yeah," Neji said finally. "I'd like that. Now, I'd like to ask _you_ something."

"Oh, yeah?" Naruto asked. "What's that?"

"Well," Neji began, "this is the only house around for miles. No one ever comes out here-not that it would really matter to either of us," Neji chuckled. "Anyway, you said on our first date that you wanted me in my car. Do you still want that?"

"Uh, yeah!" Naruto exclaimed. Wasn't it obvious?

Neji smiled.

"Okay," he said. "well, let's get dressed and unpack. Then, we can run to the grocery store to get food. We'll come back here, eat dinner, and then... we can go to the car."

Naruto grinned widely. He'd been looking forward to this for months, and not it seems he would finally get what he wanted. They got out of bed and dressed, then they unpacked, putting their clothes in the dresser and closet and their toiletries in the bathroom down the hall.

"See?" Naruto said as they made their way downstairs and out the door. "I told you we would unpack."

Neji simply rolled his eyes.

-OoOoOoO-

Neji walked hand in hand with Naruto through the market while they both chose various foods for their vacation. Naruto, not surprisingly, put so much instant ramen in the basket that Neji was shocked they were able to fit anything else. Neji had learned quickly that Naruto could easily eat ramen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And sometimes, he did. Neji tried desperately to inject some healthy eating habits into Naruto's life, only for Naruto to whine about how he hadn't had ramen in two whole days. Finally, Neji gave up. There was simply no stopping Naruto from eating his precious ramen.

They got to the register, and Neji went to run his fingers through his hair, only to find that it was hopelessly tangled. He grimaced slightly, but he really should have seen this coming. His hair hadn't been tied back at all today, and he had started his day off with a round of sex, then a three-hour car ride with the top down, then even more sex. He would have to try to get a hairbrush through it when they got back. Although, he would probably have to have Naruto do it. It was far too tangled for Neji to be able to get a hairbrush through it alone.

They put their groceries on the counter one by one, and Naruto turned to Neji.

"Let me pay for the groceries," he requested.

"No," Neji said simply. "I have money saved up specifically for this trip. I'm not letting you pay for anything. Now, put your ramen on the counter and let's get back."

Neji paid for the food and they went back to the car. Naruto was weirdly silent the entire way back to the house.

"Are you upset?" Neji asked hesitantly.

"A little," Naruto grumbled. "I don't want you to feel like you have to foot the bill for everything just because you make more than I do."

"I don't feel like that at all," Neji assured him. "You and I have been together almost three months now, and we've gone on plenty of dates where you've paid. I just figured that since this vacation was my idea, and it's at my family's vacation house, I should be the one to treat you. If I made you feel like I disrespected you in any way, I apologize." He looked at Naruto, who smiled. "Okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto muttered. "You don't have to apologize."

They pulled back into the long drive and wound their way up to the house. When Neji parked the Mustang, they both got out and grabbed an armfull of grocery bags before going back inside. They put the food away together, then they each made themselves an instant ramen cup and got to eating. While Neji didn't necessarilly mind instant ramen, he couldn't understand why Naruto loved it so much; especially with the dad he had. Naruto had probably grown up eating the best of everything, from curry to sushi, and everything in between.

"So tell me," Neji said, setting his empty ramen cup down on the dining room table. "How did this ramen obsession start?"

Naruto smiled like he knew this topic of conversation would come up eventually.

"I was a super picky eater when I was little," Naruto explained. "My mom gave me my first cup of instant ramen when I was two, just to see if I'd eat it. Until then, I would literally only eat toast or Jell-O." Neji gave him a questioning look. "I don't know," Naruto chuckled. "That's what my mom said. Anyway, after that first cup of instant ramen, I was hooked. So my dad started experimenting. He learned how to cook the real stuff, and put all sorts of things in it; all kinds of veggies and meats. And I was finally getting the nutrition my growing body needed, even if it was masked behind tons of sodium and calories. So, my parents lept giving me bowl after bowl of ramen. They say I'm lucky I have such a high metabolism, or else the ramen I've been eating pretty much daily since I was two would have made me fat by now. I'm not nearly as much of a picky eater as I used to be. Spending my entire childhood in Hokage cured me of that. But ramen will always be my favorite."

Naruto grinned broadly when he finished his story, and all Neji could do was shake his head and chuckle. He tried again to pull his fingers through his hair, only to be stopped by the sheer number of knots. It was getting fucking irritating, quite frankly, so he decided to do something about it.

Neji got up from the dining room table, and after throwing his trash away, made his way toward the upstairs bathroom. Naruto, he was glad to see, was right on his heels.

"Where ya goin'?" he asked.

"To get my hairbrush," Neji answered. "The knots in my hair are getting annoying."

"You should have known that would happen."

"I did know it would happen," Neji told him. "And now I'm doing something about it. Only catch is, I may need your help brushing my hair out."

"Cool," Naruto said. "You know I love your hair."

"So you've said," Neji commented. _About a million times, _he silently added.

Neji really did love the fact that Naruto loved his hair so much. He was always touching it and admiring it. It made Neji even more vain than he already was. His hair was by far his favorite quality about himself, and he cherished it.

Neji picked up his hairbrush from the bathroom counter and headed to his room. Naruto followed. Neji handed the hairbrush to Naruto and got up on the bed, motioning for Naruto to sit behind him. Naruto and Neji sat on their knees and Naruto hesitantly ran the brush through Neji's hair. He caught a knot and quickly started to apologize.

"I'm not a porcelain doll," Neji chuckled. "Just rake through it. I promise, you're not going to hurt me."

After that, Naruto got a little bolder. He pulled the hairbrush through Neji's hair, untangling it with newfound ease. A few stubborn knots had Neji wincing slightly, but he made sure Naruto didn't notice.

When Naruto finished, he set the hairbrush on the bed and slowly ran his fingers through Neji's hair, checking for any missed tangles. Neji leaned into the soft caresses and hummed contentedly. Naruto moved his hair away from his neck and lightly lightly kissed and sucked at his throat. Naruto slipped Neji's shirt over his head and traced kisses along his shoulder blades.

Neji knew immediately where this was headed.

He turned slowly to face his lover, and Naruto's eyes were already pleasantly clouded over, and a shade darker than usual. He traced thepad of his thumb along Naruto's bottom lip, and Naruto nipped his thumb lightly. Neji kissed him, slow and sensual, and when their tongues met, they shared a moan. Neji's heart was suddenly racing, and the way Naruto was touching him was driving him insane. He knew that if they were going to go to the car like he had promised, they would have to do it soon, before their bodies took over and they ended up fucking like rabbits on the bed again.

Neji broke off the now heated kiss to speak, only to have Naruto attack his neck again.

"Naruto," he choked out, and Naruto's hand was suddenly in his pants. "Oh, God. Let's move to the car."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, taking his hand away from Neji's hardening arousal.

They grabbed the bottle of lube and bolted down the spiral staircase and out the front door in no time. Naruto jumped in the back seat and tugged his jeans and boxers down. Neji dropped the remainder of his clothes next to the Mustang and got in the back seat, straddling Naruto's hips. He put his hands on Naruto's cheeks and lightly ran his fingers across the adorable whisker marks on his face, before leaning in to kiss him.

The taste of Naruto's lips and tongue was intoxicating. Every time they kissed, Naruto tasted different. Right now, he tasted like ramen, and Neji had to admit, ramen tasted much better on Naruto's tongue. Neji groaned into the kiss and fisted his hands in Naruto's hair. Through his lust-hazed stupor, Neji faintly heard the sound of the lube being opened, but didn't register it. Then he felt two fingers glide easily inside him.

"Ah, fuck," he murmured into Naruto's mouth.

Naruto added a third finger and stretched him quickly. Neji was getting impatient, and he just wanted Naruto inside him. Now.

With that, Neji wasted no time slapping Naruto's hand away from his entrance and guiding his erection there instead.

"Hold on," Naruto chuckled. "Lube first."

Neji huffed, and waited impatiently while Naruto coated himself with lube. Finally, he lowered himself on Naruto's length and gasped. Being filled by Naruto was literally the best feeling in the world. It made him feel lightheaded, overheated, and completely euphoric. Neji was 100% sure that there was no other man on the planet who would be able to make him feel the way Naruto did. Making love to Naruto never got old. It was like the first time, every single time.

Neji started to move, riding Naruto slowly at first, speeding up when he heard Naruto's breathing coming out in short, desperate pants. He'd learned very quickly how to read Naruto's face and breathing patterns during sex.

"God, baby," Naruto said, looking directly into Neji's eyes. "You feel so good."

Neji fucking loved it when Naruto called him that. It made him feel special, almost as if their relationship wasn't hanging on Uchiha Fucking Sasuke. Neji dreaded the day when he would lose his lover to that bastard. He needed to stop thinking about it, especially while they were here. Like Naruto had said, that family didn't exist for the next five days. It was just the two of them.

Neji's thoughts were brought to a halt when Naruto grabbed his hips and thrust up, pounding himself directly into Neji's prostate. Neji cried out and rested his forehead on Naruto's. They kissed deeply, and Neji dug his fingers into Naruto's shoulders. Naruto thrust again, and stars danced behind Neji's eyes. Both their bodies were slick with sweat and they were sliding against each other with every movement they made. Neji's erection was trapped between them and every time he moved, the friction along his arousal was just getting more intense. He sped up his movements even more, and Naruto was matching his speed with his own thrusts.

It didn't take long after that. With one final upward thrust from Naruto, Neji threw his head back and climaxed, his mouth hanging open in a silent scream. He was boneless against Naruto, while Naruto continued to thrust wildly inside him. At long last, Naruto let out a strangled cry and came.

They stayed like that for a long while, with Neji in Naruto's lap, and Naruto still lodged inside him. They were both having trouble catching their breath. Neji pushed himself up enough to kiss Naruto quickly, then collapsed again on Naruto's chest. Naruto was slowly running his fingers through Neji's hair, and Neji honestly thought he could fall asleep like this, pressed against Naruto's chest with his boyfriend running his hand through his hair.

"Baby?" Naruto said quietly.

"Hmm?" Neji hummed, already dozing off.

"I can't," Naruto choked out. "I can't breathe."

Neji sighed and braced his hands on the leather seat behind Naruto, pushing his upper body up and off of him. Naruto sucked in a sharp breath, a tad too dramatically if you asked Neji. He gave Naruto a look.

"Are you trying to imply that I'm fat?" he asked.

"No," Naruto laughed. "You're just dead weight after sex."

"You're one to talk."

Neji swung his leg over Naruto and flopped down next to him on the seat. Naruto put his arm around Neji's shoulder and pulled him close. Neji rested his head on Naruto, a contented smile tugging at his lips. He really wished this vacation could last forever. They had no concerns other than each other. It was just... perfect.

Neji sighed happily.

"What's with that sigh?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, nothing," Neji said dismissively. "I was just thinking about how there's no other place I'd rather be right now."

"Same here," Naruto said sweetly, tilting Neji's chin up to kiss him softly.

Naruto bent down, reaching into his pants pocket and pulling out his phone. Neji saw him turn the camera on, and he turned the phone around so the camera on the back was facing them.

"Smile, baby," Naruto said, and snapped a picture.

He turned the phone back around to examine the picture. He grinned broadly, then showed it to Neji. That picture was perfect. Naruto was grinning his mega-watt grin, while Neji's head was resting on his shoulder and he was smiling slightly. The sunset was visible behind them, and it was casting shadows over their faces. They looked unbelievably happy.

"You should send that to me," Neji suggested, smiling up at Naruto.

"You like it?"

"I love it," Neji told him.

Naruto saved the picture and sent it to Neji, whose phone sounded just a few short moments later from his jeans pocket next to the car. Neji expected him to put his phone away at this point, but he continued to type on it.

"Now what are you doing?" Neji asked.

"Uploading the picture to Facebook and Twitter," Naruto responded, smiling.

Neji rolled his eyes. Of course Naruto was uploading the picture to his social networks.

The sun soon disappeared beneath the horizon, and there was a chill in the air. Neji and Naruto got out of the Mustang and made their way inside to shower and get ready for bed. After their shower, Naruto suggested watching a movie before going to bed, and half-way through said movie, Neji was wishing he hadn't let Naruto pick what they watched. It was one of Naruto's favorite horror movies, and it was positively loaded with gore. Neji kept hiding his face in Naruto's chest, and Naruto kept laughing at him.

After the movie, they settled into bed for the night, but Neji couldn't seem to sleep. That movie was still weighing on his mind, and every creak in the house had him shaking. Naruto was fast asleep, snoring lightly beside Neji, who was practically clutching on to him for dear life. A remarkably loud thump startled him enough to jump. He felt extremely foolish, letting that stupid horror movie get to him so much.

Naruto had stopped snoring and was instead chuckling beside him.

"Aww, baby," he teased. "Did my movie scare you?"

"Shut up," Neji grumbled it return.

"I know something that'll take your mind off it," Naruto said, kissing Neji's neck.

Perhaps once more wouldn't hurt.

-OoOoOoO-

On the second day, Neji stayed true to his promise and took Naruto out back to the dojo. Naruto figured that with fifteen years of kung fu training, he'd be able to keep up with Neji, but Neji's fighting style was like nothing he'd ever seen. He was far faster than Naruto, and the Hyuuga's Gentle Fist style focused on using open-palm thrusts to vital points to incapacitate your opponent. Naruto was definitely at a disadvantage here.

Neji, for his part, seemed to be getting a kick out of seeing Naruto so helpless. He would laugh every time he landed a blow, and every time Naruto would unsuccessfully try to reciprocate.

One particularly hard open-palmed blow to his sternum sent Naruto flying and knocked the wind out of him. Neji was practically howling with laughter. Naruto tried to get up, but Neji was suddenly on top of him, holding his hands down and laughing hysterically. Naruto glared at him, and Neji just shook his head and kissed him.

They ended up making love on the floor of the dojo after that, and Naruto was suddenly okay with the fact that Neji could easily kick his ass.

-OoOoOoO-

On the third day, they went to a swanky restaurant for dinner, and the hostess-along with every waiter and waitress in the place-knew Neji. Their waitress was a ridiculous flirt, giggling to Neji and completely ignoring Naruto. Naruto wanted nothing more than to jump over the table and fuck Neji right in front of her, just to show her that she would never have him.

Neji seemed to notice Naruto's jealousy, and took his hand across the table to comfort him.

They stopped at a liquor store of their way back to the house and bought two bottles of expensive champaign. When they got back to the house, Neji pulled two champaign flutes from the cabinet and filled them, walking out to the back deck and turning on the hot tub (wait... hot tub?).

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Naruto asked, motioning toward the bubbling water.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Neji shrugged.

"But," Naruto stammered, "I didn't bring any swim trunks."

"Neither did I," Neji said, suggestively raising a delicate brow.

Naruto thought for a moment, and then everything seemed to click into place.

Once the water heated up, they stripped down and carefully got into the hot tub, bringing their glasses of champaign with them. The bottles stayed within reach.

After finishing off the first bottle and putting a large dent in the second, they were both slightly red in the face (Although, Naruto reasoned, that could also be from the heat of the water), and Neji's eyes seemed pretty glazed. His hair was falling over his shoulders, sticking to his chest from the water. He finished off his glass and set it down, then slowly made his way across the hot tub to sit next to Naruto. They kissed for a long time, and while they didn't have sex, Naruto learned just how skilled Neji was with his hands.

-OoOoOoO-

On the fourth and final full day, Naruto and Neji didn't leave the bedroom at all. They made love all day long. They were touching each other everywhere, and they simply couldn't take their eyes off each other.

"I love you so much, baby," Naruto whispered, thrusting into Neji for what seemed like the millionth time since they'd been here.

"I love you, too, Naruto," Neji gasped. "So much."

They released together-they had been doing that for awhile now-and collapsed side by side on the bed. They held each other close, both knowing what the other was thinking.

"I don't wanna go home tomorrow," Naruto complained.

"Yeah, I know," Neji sighed in return. "I just want to stay here with you forever."

They dozed off for awhile, only to wake up after the sun had set and make love again. And again. The sun came up a short time later, and they reluctantly packed their bags, getting ready to leave their love nest and return to the real world, where their jobs and other various distractions awaited.

Neji didn't bother to wash the sheets as his uncle had requested.

With one last forlorn look at the best vacation he'd ever had, Naruto got in the Mustang and Neji drove down the long drive, toward home.

Three hours later, Neji was parking out front of his house. They went inside and Naruto grabbed up his car keys and kissed Neji one last time before going home.

The drive home was torture. He felt almost bare without Neji by his side. He _was_ kind of looking forward to seeing Sasuke again, but he still felt lost without his lover. So it was with a heavy heart that he parked his car in front of the apartment complex and climbed up the staircase. He unlocked the apartment door and stepped inside.

Sasuke attacked him as soon as he walked inside, hugging Naruto around the neck and burying his face in his blond spikes.

"Miss me?" Naruto asked.

"It was so fucking _weird_ without you here," Sasuke said, finally letting go of Naruto. "Don't ever do that again."

They sat on the couch and caught up, talking for hours. Naruto was pretty vague about what exactly happened on his vacation with Neji. He left out the fact that they had sex over and over and over again. He just wasn't sure if Sasuke could handle it, what with his jealousy issues and all.

Deep down, Naruto was kinda glad to be home. He'd be able to sleep in his own bed again, and he loved that fucking bed. However, he had to go to work tomorrow, and he definitely wasn't looking forward to that. But Neji would be bringing him lunch, and he _always _looked forward to that.

Sasuke treated Naruto to Hokage again, and they seemed to pick up right where they left off. Their best friend status was back, and it was nice to talk to Sasuke without worrying he was going to jump him at any time. Minato was glad to see Naruto, and asked how his vacation was. He sat with them for awhile, making small talk.

They went home after their meal and went to bed shortly after. Naruto briefly wondered what he should get Sasuke for his birthday, but fell asleep before deciding.

Naruto's dreams that night were filled with memories of his vacation with Neji, and he slept like a baby.

-OoOoOoO-

**A/N: Well, there you have it. Neji topped. However, as far as the rest of the chapters go, if it's talked about, Neji never topped on vacation (just to clear that up). Please feed the review monster!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, I know...**

**Warnings: Some sourness, but no lemons. MAJOR Gaara OOC (ohmygod, he speaks?). Best friend fluff. Neji angst (oh, yes. it's that time at last).**

**A/N: So after reading your reviews from the last chapter(s), I was kinda shocked to see just how many of my readers seem to have very little faith in me. Tsk Tsk. I've had this story mapped out-beginning to end-**since I started it. And you will all be happy to know that we are getting down to brass tacks now. There will be this chapter, the next chapter, and an epilogue, and then we are done. It's all coming together now, and I honestly can't wait to see your reactions to this chapter. Oh, and just a little...uhm... shameless advertising, I guess would be the proper way to word it... you should all follow me on Twitter. I Tweet updates about my stories, along with other general nonsense. So if you have a Twitter, follow me! BabyMamaB_SGTC. Now that that's out of the way, HAPPY READING!

-OoOoOoO-

Okay, now this was just getting to be fucking ridiculous.

Two weeks ago-probably down to the very minute, he noticed as he looked at his watch-Naruto had been happily fucking Neji on the floor of the dojo, unable to think of anywhere else he'd rather be. Now, he was at the Uchiha estate for Sasuke's birthday party, watching Sasuke and Gaara from across the back yard angrily. Gaara had his arm around Sasuke's waist and they were chatting amiably with Itachi and Deidara. Deidara kept glancing over at Naruto, shooting him significant looks that seemed to say, "If you were smarter, this could be _you_ with your arms around Sasuke." It only served to piss him off more.

Naruto took another swig of his beer-a German import courtesy of Itachi. Naruto had to admit, the asshole had great taste in beer. Sasuke looked over at him at that moment, and Naruto quickly averted his eyes, hoping like hell Sasuke hadn't seen him staring. He took another cigarette out of his pack (it seemed like the thousandth one today) and lit it hastily, trying to do anything he could to calm himself down. He took a long, deep drag and sighed. Then he felt hot breath on his ear, and he knew Sasuke had snuck up on him.

"So, dobe," he purred, "looks as though you've been reduced to stalking me at my own birthday party."

"I'm not stalking you," Naruto grumbled, turning around to come face to face with Sasuke.

"Uh huh," Sasuke nodded sarcastically.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at his best friend, and Sasuke's words from just a few short months ago came flooding back.

"_It's you who doesn't know what he wants..."_

He took another hit off his cigarette, intentionally blowing the smoke in Sasuke's face. Sasuke glared at him and plucked the cigarette out of his hand, tossing it in the soft grass and stamping it out.

"Smoking is bad for you," he said simply, before turning and walking away.

Naruto watched him leave, and realized he'd never been more confused about anything in his entire life. Two weeks ago, if someone had asked him what-or rather, who-he wanted, he wouldn't have hesitated in his answer: Neji. Now? He wasn't so sure of that anymore. He unlocked his phone and looked again at his wallpaper picture. The photograph he'd taken with Neji in the Mustang looked back at him, and he smiled a little at the memory. He flicked through the other pictures in his phone and came across his favorite picture he'd ever taken of Sasuke. It had been taken about this time last year, when both their families had dragged them on vacation to America. They had been sitting on a beach in California, and Sasuke seemed unbelievably at peace there. The picture in question was just a profile shot, with Sasuke's eyes closed, elbows resting on his knees, with a gentle ocean breeze playing with his hair. Naruto had found himself transfixed by the image. Sasuke had never looked so serene or relaxed in his life. Naruto had hurriedly snapped the picture, intent on immortalizing the moment. Only he and Sasuke even knew the picture existed.

Naruto stared at the picture for a long time, remembering how he'd felt that day, sitting on a private beach with Sasuke, with absolutely no cares in the world, and he suddenly wished he could have that feeling with Sasuke again. He really needed to talk to someone about this, and he knew just the person; the one person in the world he knew he could trust with anything. His life, his deepest, darkest secrets, his dilemma. She wasn't hard to find. Her loud laugh and flaming red hair gave her away immediately.

"Hey, Mom," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her up into a gigantic bear hug.

"Naruto, put Mommy down," she scolded, and Naruto did as he was told.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked. "In private?"

"Of course, sweetie," she replied, steering him to a deserted picnic table toward the rear of the back yard. "What is it?"

"Is it..." Naruto began, stumbling over his words a little. "Is it possible to be in love with two people at once?"

The sad smile on his mother's face said it all.

"Yes," she sighed at length. "I was wondering when you'd suck it up and come talk to me about this. I know what you're going through," Kushina assured him. "Your situation with Sasuke is not unlike my situation with Mikoto."

Okay, that was a new one.

"You're in love with Mikoto?" Naruto asked in quiet disbelief.

"Since high school," his mother confessed. "But right now, we should focus on the Naruto/Sasuke dilemma. I'll tell you about my relationship with Mikoto another time. Now, you and Sasuke have been in each other's lives since infancy. You even shared a crib at one point. A bond like that is extremely hard to come by. That bond could easily turn into a happy, fulfilling, lifelong relationship. My suggestion? Don't let that slip through your fingers just because a guy comes along with beautiful eyes and a tight ass."

"But Sasuke has Gaara," Naruto argued. "I mean, _look_ at them!"

"I have," Kushina told him. "You obviously have not. Look at the way Sasuke carries himself around Gaara," she said, and they both looked. "See how uncomfortable he is when Gaara puts his arm around him?" Naruto did. "Sasuke has always had issues with people invading his personal space. But not when it comes to you. You're the only person in the world who can get right up in Sasuke's bubble without him looking like he wants to hit somebody. The boy won't even hug his own mother!"

Naruto suddenly remembered how Sasuke had literally thrown himself into Naruto's arms when he got back from his vacation.

"His relationship with Gaara is forced," Kushina continued. "Next time he's away from Gaara, do something to him that would make him push anyone else away. Invade his bubble a little and watch his reaction carefully. I can almost guarantee that he won't only not push you away, but he'll smile. You're one of the only people on the planet that can make Sasuke really smile."

"That's all well and good, Mom," Naruto said, "but how does that help me? Either Sasuke or Neji is going to get hurt in the end, and I don't want that."

Kushina shrugged.

"It can't be helped, chickpea," she said. "Look at it like this: the longer you keep up this charade with Neji, the more it's going to hurt him in the end. And as for Sasuke," she looked directly into her son's eyes, "haven't you already hurt him enough?"

Well, shit. Naruto hadn't thought about it like that before.

"But," Naruto protested quietly, looking down at the table, "I love Neji."

"Neji is a phase," Kushina said, waving her hand dismissively. "He was your first boyfriend after you and Fumioki broke up. He showed interest, and you latched on without a second thought. You missed the physical intimacy of being with someone, and Neji was willing to give that to you."

It took a minute for Naruto's brain to catch up with his mother's words.

"Wait. Are you saying Neji is a rebound?"

His mom smiled sweetly.

"It seems as though Sasuke's observational skills are rubbing off on you," she remarked. "Just think about it, sweetie," she concluded, then added, "With your head for once, instead of your heart."

Kushina got up and walked away, leaving Naruto to follow her advice and simply think about it. His mom always had a way of shedding light on certain subjects, so Naruto could look at things from a different angle. And that's what she had done today. He went back to watching Sasuke and Gaara interact. His mom had been right. It seemed forced... From both of them, actually. Gaara didn't seem comfortable playing the boyfriend role, and Sasuke seemed to almost cringe every time Gaara touched him for more than a second. How the hell did they have sex? Gaara smiled at Sasuke, and Sasuke forced a smile in return. Seriously, how had Naruto never seen this before? Soon after, Gaara walked away from Sasuke and into the house. Sasuke seemed to let out a relieved sigh. This was Naruto's chance to put his mother's theory to the test. He stood up from his picnic table and casually crossed the back yard, tossing his empty beer bottle into one of the many recycling bins. He approached Sasuke and threw his arm around his shoulders. Sasuke didn't seem to mind.

"'Sup, teme?" Naruto grinned, and looked at Sasuke, who smiled at him. Like, _really_ smiled.

It would seem Kushina's theory was dead on.

"Nothing, dobe," he replied. "What do you want? I saw you and Kushina conspiring earlier."

"Not conspiring," Naruto corrected him. "It's called talking."

"Then why were you two watching me like a hawk?" Sasuke wanted to know.

"Oh, nothing important," Naruto lied. "Just... making observations."

"What kinds of observations?" Sasuke asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I'll tell you later," Naruto promised. "But only if you open my gift first. It's the one in the big orange gift bag."

"No, really?" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I never would have guessed. Fine. I'll open yours first. Are you satisfied, dobe?"

"Mostly," Naruto shrugged. "Just one more thing."

He pulled Sasuke into a tight hug, but Sasuke didn't pull back as he'd expected. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Naruto and embraced him right back.

-OoOoOoO-

This party was fucking torture, Sasuke decided. He only had room for one hyperactive blond in his life, and it was _not_ Deidara. He had absolutely no idea what his brother saw in that moron, but for some reason, he was being forced to put up with him for the duration of the party. Sasuke kept glaring at Itachi, who just chuckled knowingly; it was infuriating.

But that wasn't the worst part. Oh, no. Gaara would not stop fucking touching him. Sasuke had thought he'd made it perfectly clear that there were to be no public displays of affection at his family's estate. But Gaara continued to hold his hand, or slip his arm around his waist, or something equally as bad. He had dared to casually grope Sasuke's butt one time, but his Uchiha death glare had put a stop to that real fast.

To put it simply, Sasuke could not fucking wait to be back in his apartment, with Naruto, and the copy of Modern Warfare 3 he may or may not have found the receipt for while doing Naruto's laundry. Sasuke was just wondering why such a simple gift was in such a massive bag. He'd find out soon enough, he figured, because it was almost time for him to open gifts.

Sure enough, his mother approached him shortly after Gaara got back from the bathroom, and ushered him to the table in the middle of the back yard, where all his gifts were stacked. Sasuke sat at the table and waited while everyone else gathered around. Naruto and Gaara had front row seats, and they exchanged a weird look before turning their attention back to Sasuke.

Sasuke reached across the table and grabbed up the orange gift bag that Naruto had specified. He looked at Naruto, who was grinning from ear to ear. He took out the blue tissue paper and peered inside the bag. The first two things Sasuke pulled from the bag were-to put it mildly-surprising: a watch he'd had his eye on for some time now, and a hard-bound copy of his favorite author's newest release.

"How did you know I wanted this stuff, dobe?" 

Naruto shrugged.

"They were on your Amazon Wish List," he responded.

"You hacked in to my Amazon account?"

"It's not that hard when you use the same password for everything," Naruto quipped. "The other two things are for both of us."

Sasuke reached into the gift bag and pulled out-as expected-a copy of Modern Warfare 3 and-not as expected- a bottle of Jack Daniel's. Sasuke held up the bottle of whiskey and raised a single eyebrow at Naruto, who only shrugged again.

"I love how this bottle is considerably smaller than the last one," Sasuke observed aloud.

"Well," Naruto said, trying to stifle his laughter, "after the effects the big bottle had on your stomach and inhibitions, I figured the smaller bottle was safer."

Sasuke allowed himself to let out a bark of laughter. Then something occurred to him: Was Naruto planning a repeat of the last time they split a bottle of whiskey? Doubtful. Sasuke had, after all, seen the picture Naruto had posted to Facebook while he and Neji were on vacation, and Sasuke didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know the picture had been taken right after sex. It probably hadn't helped that Sasuke had spent hours examining the photo, trying to find something-anything-that would suggest they weren't a blissfully happy couple. Needless to say, he didn't find anything. It seemed Sasuke would forever be stuck in the best friend zone.

The rest of Sasuke's gifts were insignificant. In truth, the only one he had actually cared about was Naruto's. Okay, so he kinda cared about Gaara's gift, too, and was pleased to find another game for his Xbox 360, and an iTunes gift card. Fuck. Yes. Everyone who knew Sauske knew he was an iTunes junkie. He had a 32 GB iPod that was already almost full of music, and now he had an excuse to put even more music on it without spending any of his own money. He had to admit, Gaara did good.

After gifts, Sasuke was forced to sit through cake. Despite the fact that everyone in his family knew he hated cake, they still insisted on buying one. Every year. His mother had put 24 candles on the cake-_Stupid fucking tradition,_ Sasuke thought bitterly-and Sasuke was expected to make a wish and blow all the candles out at once. His mother-despite the fact that she put the correct amount of candles on the cake-seemed to think Sasuke was still a child who enjoyed these ridiculous traditions. He wanted to keep her happy, though, and forced a smile as she and Naruto lit all the candles.

In keeping with tradition, Naruto took his place at Sasuke's left side. He watched Sasuke expectantly while he closed his eyes and made his wish, in spite of himself. _I wish Naruto would leave Neji and be with me instead._ It was a selfish wish, he knew, but it was his birthday, after all. What better day to be selfish? He looked over at Naruto and nodded.

"One," Naruto counted off, "two... three!"

They both took a deep breath and blew out the candles together, just like every birthday before that. For a moment, Sasuke felt like a kid again, blowing out the candles on his birthday cake with his best friend. For a moment, it felt like nothing was different between him and Naruto. They were both right where they belonged: together.

Sasuke felt himself starting to get a little bit emotional as he watched the fire on the tips of the candles die. He reached for Naruto under the table and took his hand in his own, lacing their fingers together. Naruto looked at him, wide-eyed, and Sasuke smiled just enough for only him to see (he did see Kushina raise her eyebrows at him out of the corner of his eye, but chose to ignore it). Naruto smiled back at him, and Sasuke felt the overwhelming urge to kiss him. Maybe, if Gaara hadn't been there, he would have done it. Perhaps next year.

Itachi cut everyone a piece of cake, and passed them out one by one.

"Should I even give you your piece of cake, _otouto,_ or should I give it directly to Naruto?" Itachi asked.

"We like to do the trade-off ourselves, asshole," Naruto snapped.

Sasuke almost laughed when Itachi glared at Naruto, and Naruto-completely unaffected by the Uchiha death glare-simply gave Itachi the finger.

When Sasuke and Naruto had both received their pieces of cake, Sasuke scooped his piece up with his fork and plopped it on top of Naruto's piece. Naruto, in turn, plucked the strawberries off both pieces and put them on Sasuke's plate. They both smiled at the familiarity of their actions, and started eating.

The strawberries were huge this year, and wonderfully juicy.

"So what did you wish for, teme?" Naruto asked behind a mouthful of cake.

"That a certain dobe would learn how to stop talking with his mouth full," Sasuke replied quickly. "It didn't come true."

"That's not what you wished for," Naruto said dismissively. "Tell the truth."

"I'll bet I can guess," Itachi cut in, smirking at his younger brother.

"New topic of conversation, please," Sasuke deadpanned.

"So what's it like being CEO?" Naruto asked, seemingly glad to change the subject that was of his own making.

"It sucks," Sasuke answered honestly. "I hate having to deal with people, and it seems like my work is never done. I'm always exhausted when I get home, and all I ever think about is work. So, yeah, it fucking sucks."

Sasuke didn't like how quiet Gaara was being all of a sudden. Well, sure, he was always quiet, but right now he was being completely silent. He'd done just fine carrying on a conversation with Itachi and Deidara earlier. What changed? Then it hit him. Naruto. Come to think of it, Gaara had always been completely silent around Naruto. Why? Did he sense the tension? Of course he did. Everyone seemed to. Sasuke glanced over at Gaara, who was completely lost in thought. He seemed to snap out of it right away. He looked back at Sasuke and smiled.

Sasuke knew a forced smile when he saw one, and _that_ was a forced smile.

Sasuke sighed and got up, deciding to use the bathroom and get them the hell out of there. He obviously needed to get Naruto and Gaara away from each other before something happened. He didn't want a situation like the one between himself and Neji to arise. Sasuke hurried in the bathroom and walked back out to the yard. He heard the shouting before he saw exactly what was going on.

"You don't consider Sasuke's feelings at all!" Gaara accused. "He's obviously hopelessly in love with you, and you're off galavanting with some pretty-boy whore! It's like you couldn't give two shits less about your supposed best friend! And then you come here and put on some act like nothing's changed between you two? Get a fucking clue, Uzumaki! Some people would be grateful if he felt the same way about them that he does about you. Like me, for example. You need to grow the fuck up, stop toying with Sasuke's emotions, decide once and for all what it is you actually want, and thank your lucky fucking stars that a guy as great as Sasuke has his heart completely set on you. Because you sure as hell don't deserve him."

Well, damn. Sasuke couldn't have said it better himself, honestly.

Naruto, for once, was speechless. Gaara's rant seemed to really hit home for him. He looked up at Sasuke from where he was standing, then looked back at the ground, ashamed.

Gaara stormed past Sasuke, livid, muttering something about waiting in the car, and Sasuke was left to clean up the mess. He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed, and walked over to Naruto, who looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

"He didn't have to say it like that," Sasuke said, kind of apologizing.

"No," Naruto sniffled. "He was right. I'm really sorry, Sasuke. Can we talk seriously when you get home?"

"Of course, dobe," Sasuke said, caressing his cheek.

"I'll take your gifts back to the apartment," Naruto told him. "Just get your hotheaded boyfriend home."

And with that, Sasuke left.

It was now official. Sasuke's 24th birthday was a complete disaster.

The ride back to Gaara's was uncomfortably silent. Sasuke kept looking over at Gaara nervously, waiting for him to snap again. He was clearly still fuming, and Sasuke was trying his hardest not to exceed the speed limit too much in his haste to get the redhead home.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sasuke pulled in to Gaara's driveway. Before Sauske could speak, Gaara did.

"Sasuke, we need to talk."

-OoOoOoO-

After unloading his car of gifts, Naruto had some time alone at the apartment to think about what Gaara had said to him. He said that Naruto didn't consider Sasuke's feelings. He supposed it might be true. Looking back on the past few months, Naruto did have to admit he'd been a little selfish. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too (he'd never fully understood that expression; what good is cake if you can't eat it?). It was time now for Naruto to decide once and for all who he'd rather be with. Gaara's display at the party, along with Naruto's conversation with his mom, had really put things in perspective, and it was so obvious now, staring Naruto in the face. As much as he wanted to believe he was in love with Neji, he knew his feelings for him paled in comparison to his feelings for Sasuke. And his mother had been right. He had already hurt Sasuke enough. If his relationship with Neji continued for very much longer, he was likely to lose Sasuke forever. That was not an option.

It was time, Naruto decided, to bite the bullet and break Neji's heart.

Just as Naruto went to push send and call Neji, the front door burst open and Sasuke stormed inside, slamming the door roughly behind him. Naruto could feel the fury rolling off of him in waves. Neji could wait. Naruto obviously had more pressing matters to deal with.

"Sasuke...?" Naruto began hesitantly. "What happened?"

"He fucking dumped me!" Sasuke shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. "The bastard does what he did at the party and then _dumps me!_ On my fucking birthday! What the actual fuck? Oh, and you'll love this: he had a deal with Neji regarding this whole situation."

Now it was Naruto's turn to be pissed.

"He _what?_" he shrieked. "What kind of deal?"

"Apparently," Sasuke fumed, pacing back and forth in the living room, "this has kinda been Neji's plan from the very beginning. He approached Gaara a while back and practically begged him to hold on to me for as long as possible, because when Gaara and I broke up, he was going to leave you."

"Excuse me?" Naruto was furious.

"Oh, and that's not all," Sasuke chuckled darkly.

"There's more?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"I'll say. Remember how I told you that Gaara wanted to bottom and I didn't want to do it?" Naruto nodded. "Well, evidently, Neji promised Gaara that after all was said and done, _he'd_ let Gaara bottom. Your boyfriend's a whore."

Naruto could only gape at him.

He felt a wide range of emotions at that point: shock, disbelief, anger, hurt, but most of all, betrayal. If that really was the case, and Neji had made that deal with Gaara, what was the point of their relationship in the first place? Had their relationship ever meant anything to Neji? Naruto didn't know at this point.

This new revelation only solidified the fact that it was over between them. At least when Naruto had been unfaithful, he'd had a guilty conscience. Neji, on the other hand, had to be completely unbothered by this whole thing. He had acted completely normal. And to think Naruto had trusted him!

"Naruto..." Sasuke said quietly, snapping Naruto out of his thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Naruto said, completely unconvinced by his own statement. "It's just... really surprising, is all. But that's irrelevant right now. I wanted to talk to you, remember?"

"Of course," Sasuke said, his eyes softening slightly. "So talk."

He sat down on the couch beside Naruto while Naruto collected his thoughts. He reached across the coffee table to the orange gift bag and reached inside, pulling out the bottle of whiskey and unscrewing the cap. Naruto watched as Sasuke put the bottle to his lips and drank deeply.

"Guess I shoulda gotten the big bottle after all, huh?" Naruto asked as Sasuke passed him the bottle in question.

Sasuke smirked at him.

"No, this one's fine," he said. "You were right about the smaller bottle being safer. Now what did you want to talk about?"

"Well, to be honest, Gaara dumping you kinda ruined my plans," Naruto admitted.

"Oh?" Sasuke asked. "And what was your plan?"

"I was going to tell you that I've made my decision," Naruto said, then looked at Sasuke. "You."

Sasuke clearly didn't know whether to smile or be condescending.

"Did you make this decision before or after Gaara's rant?"

"Mostly before," Naruto said. "When I talked to my mom today, she said a lot of things that made me second-guess the past few months."

"What did she say?" Sasuke wanted to know.

"Well," Naruto began, "she said a lot. She said your relationship with Gaara was forced. She, uhm, said that I've already hurt you enough-sorry about that, by the way. I know I've been a bit of a dick. And," Naruto sighed, "she may have implied that Neji was a rebound."

"You needed the implication to figure that out?" Sasuke snorted.

"Don't be condescending, teme," Naruto scolded.

"I'm surprised you even know what that word means, dobe," Sasuke chuckled, taking another drink from their bottle and passing it once again to Naruto. "But, yes, your mom was right. My relationship with Gaara was completely forced. I won't say there weren't feelings there, because honestly, there were. Even when I was with him, though, all I could ever think about was you. And you _have_ hurt me quite enough-I forgive you, but only because you seem to have finally come to your senses. As for Neji being a rebound, I can't believe you didn't see it!"

"Well," Naruto said defensively, "I was under the impression rebound relationships usually happened immediately after one relationship ended-hence the term 'rebound.' I just assumed I'd been single for long enough. Even you said it was time for me to move on."

Naruto took a drink and looked over at Sasuke, who was just... staring at him.

"What exactly are you looking at, Sasuke?" he asked.

"My new boyfriend," Sasuke smirked in return.

"Not so fast," Naruto warned him. "Let me break up with Neji before you start labeling us. Oh, my God!" Naruto exclaimed, suddenly remembering something his mom had said. "Did you know my mom has been in love with your mom since high school?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and snatched the bottle back.

"You really are a dobe."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked, getting up from the couch and putting their new copy of Modern Warfare 3 in their Xbox.

"I've known that for years," Sasuke explained. "And it's hardly one-sided. They were lovers all through high school. When my grandparents found out about it, they set up an arranged marriage; which is how my parents met. Kushina was heartbroken. My parents got married about a week after my mother graduated high school. A year later, Itachi was born. Your mother and mine remained best friends, despite everything. It must have been so hard for them," he said quietly, taking another long drink, "being so in love and not being allowed to be together. Could you imagine?"

Sasuke was wearing an unreadable look, but Naruto knew what he was thinking. He handed Sasuke his wireless controller and crouched down between his legs, cupping his face in his hands.

"That won't happen to us, Sasuke," Naruto said quietly, sapphire eyes meeting deep onyx. "After I give Neji a piece of my mind tomorrow, we'll finally have each other. Forever."

"I know," Sasuke replied, bringing his hand up to Naruto's. "Now grab the headsets and let's kick some ass!"

Naruto grinned and stood, retrieving their headsets from behind the television and taking his place on the couch beside Sasuke.

Two hours later, Naruto and Sasuke had finished off the bottle of Jack Daniel's. They were pleasantly drunk, screaming obscenities into their headsets at the other players online. Naruto was getting pretty pissed, actually. He kept getting killed. No matter what weapon he used, he couldn't seem to get into the groove of the game. Sasuke was holding his own pretty well, however. Sasuke chuckled, then Naruto watched his player fall to the ground, dead. Again. The screen signalled the end of the round, and Sasuke jumped up from the couch in victory.

"Fuck yes!" he shouted. "Game-winning kill!" He turned to Naruto. "You _suck_! Suck my dick, dobe! I fucking win!"

Sasuke always got like this when he beat Naruto at video games, which didn't happen all that often. They were extremely competitive, and this rare loss really pissed Naruto off. He dropped his controller on the couch and tore his headset off. He jumped up from his seat and came face to face with Sasuke, fully intending to punch him in the face like he normally would in this situation. Instead, something else came over him. He ripped Sasuke's headset off his head and pushed him back down on the couch. He jumped on top of Sasuke and smashed their lips together, putting all his rage into that one kiss. Kissing Sasuke, Naruto noticed, was far superior to kissing Neji. Kissing Sasuke was a fight, a competition to see who could best the other, to see who could exert dominance over whom. Their tongues clashed together in a heated dance, and Naruto vaguely noticed Sasuke tugging at his tee-shirt. Naruto allowed the shirt to be removed, and moved his kisses to Sasuke's neck. Just then, Naruto's phone started ringing. Naruto growled low in his throat and decided to ignore the phone. Whoever was calling would just have to wait. This was much more important than some stupid phone call.

Sasuke didn't seem to agree. He leaned forward as far as Naruto would allow him and picked the phone up from the coffee table. Naruto couldn't be bothered. He kept kissing and sucking Sasuke's neck, determined to leave marks on his pale skin. Sasuke chuckled as he answered Naruto's phone.

"Naruto's busy," he said matter-of-factly, rolling his hips against Naruto and making Naruto moan quietly, though whoever was on the found had probably heard him. "You can call him tomorrow, Neji." Naruto found that he didn't care. "Because I'm going to be keeping him busy for the rest of the night."

Sasuke hung up the phone before Neji had a chance to say anything.

"That felt fucking great," Sasuke said as he tossed the phone beside him on the couch and grabbed Naruto by the hair.

Naruto let Sasuke pry him away from his neck, and they resumed kissing. The game was completely forgotten in favor of kissing the night away instead. Suddenly, the phone came to life again.

"Oh, he is _so_ fired," Sasuke muttered as he answered Naruto's phone for the second time that night. "What part of our last conversation did you not hear, Hyuuga? I said tomorrow! I'm hard as a rock here and I have a feeling I'm about to get my birthday present."

Naruto watched as Sasuke's expression went from enraged to shocked to mortified, and his face turned the brightest shade of red Naruto had ever seen.

"Oh, my God, Minato, I'm so sorry," he groaned, and Naruto plucked the phone out of Sasuke's hand.

"You pick the worst fucking times to call, Dad, you know that?" Naruto snapped.

"So I've gathered," Minato laughed. "If it's before midnight when you finish... giving Sasuke his birthday present, call me."

"Yeah," Naruto scoffed. "Don't wait up."

"Fine," Minato sighed. "Call me on your way to work tomorrow then. Oh, and son?"

"What, Dad?"

"Give it to him good."

And with that, the line went dead. Naruto shuddered in disgust. His dad really had no right talking like that. It was disturbing.

"What did he say?" Sasuke asked, his face still bright red.

"He said, 'Give it to him good.'" Naruto replied, turning his phone off-that should stop the interruptions-and putting it on the coffee table.

"Ew," Sasuke said simply, making a face.

"Right?" Naruto agreed. "Now where were we?"

"Kissing," Sasuke reminded him. "It was leading to more."

"That's right," Naruto grinned, leaning down to lock lips with Sasuke again.

Sasuke's tongue was downright magical. It dominated his own with ease, and Sasuke was obviously putting everything into the kiss; months of heartache and years of pent-up sexual aggression toward his best friend. It was driving Naruto insane, and he wanted so much more. They couldn't have sex tonight, though, as obvious as it was how badly they both wanted to. As much as he considered his relationship with Neji over, Naruto knew that Neji wasn't aware of that yet, and he couldn't, in good conscience, have sex with Sasuke while he still technically had a boyfriend.

So instead, he dropped to the floor btween Sasuke's legs and unbuttoned his pants. Sasuke gave him a look, and Naruto just smiled. He pulled Sasuke's jeans down and touched him for the first time, stroking him slowly and watching Sasuke watch him. He planted light kisses on Sasuke's erection, and Sasukle shivered.

"What are you doing?" he asked, and Naruto was pleased to hear Sasuke sounding a little breathless. "You hate giving head."

"Happy birthday, Sasuke."

Naruto took as much of Sasuke in his mouth as he could.

"Fuck," Sasuke swore tightly, arching his back off the couch.

And Naruto went to work, bobbing his head quickly and swirling his tongue around the head, moaning at the salty taste of Sasuke's pre-come. The weight of Sasuke on his tongue was incredible, and Sasuke was already making noises that rivaled Neji's. Everything about Sasuke was better. The noises, the way he gripped Naruto's hair, the way he was thrusting himself deeper into Naruto's mouth, all of it. Naruto suddenly loved giving head, and could see himself doing it all the time. He had always known Sasuke loved receiving blowjobs, and it only encouraged him more. He hollowed out his cheeks, sucking hard, earning him another loud moan from Sasuke.

"Naruto," Sasuke breathed, "look at me."

Naruto raised his eyes as much as he could without taking his mouth away from the delicious length, only to come face to face with Sasuke's phone. Sasuke snapped a picture, and Naruto rolled his eyes. He pulled Sasuke further down on the couch and took his pants the rest of the way off, spreading his legs lewdly apart. He pushed two fingers inside Sasuke, and Sasuke gasped something that sounded like "Oh, God" or "Yes" or a colorful combination of the two. Naruto easily found Sasuke's prostate, and after a few hard sucks, Sasuke was coming. It was amazing. Sasuke thrust his hips sharply as he climaxed, releasing into Naruto's throat and shouting his name at the top of his lungs.

Sasuke was panting heavily when Naruto finally detached himself from his spent cock, and his eyelids seemed to be getting heavy. He slowly opened his eyes and looked down at Naruto.

"That's all I'm getting tonight, isn't it?" Sasuke asked after a moment.

"Yup," Naruto answered, standing up and helping Sasuke to his feet. "We'd both better get to bed. I have a feeling tomorrow's going to be a long day."

"Hey, Naruto?" Sasuke asked quietly, and Naruto looked at him. "I know this may be asking too much, but... Will you sleep in my bed tonight?"

Naruto smiled.

"Yeah, okay. Just let me get my phone charger from my room."

After retrieving his phone and charger, Naruto walked into Sasuke's room. Sasuke was already nestled under the covers. Naruto closed the bedroom door behind him and stripped himself of his jeans. He climbed into bed beside Sasuke, pleased that Sasuke had chosed the right side of the bed, so Naruto could have the left, like he preferred. Sasuke scooted closer, tangling their legs together and burying his face into Naruto's chest. He lazily draped his arm over Naruto's hip and sighed, settling in for the night.

"I never pegged you for a cuddler," Naruto yawned.

"I'm not," Sasuke told him shortly. "I just want this moment etched in my memory in case you have a change of heart come morning."

Naruto took Sasuke's chin between his thumb and finger, forcing him to look Naruto in the eye.

"I'm sorry I've been so stubborn," Naruto said, gazing into Sasuke's eyes in the dark of the bedroom. "But nothing is going to change my mind this time. Especially not after what happened tonight. You were right. I usually hate giving head. But I absolutely _loved_ giving you head. Sasuke, it's you that I want. You have a hickey just below your jaw that pretty much speaks for itself. No amount of make-up, or even one of your stuffy collared shirts is gonna cover that thing up. And quite frankly, I couldn't care less at this point if Neji sees it and knows who gave it to you. My relationship with him is over as far as I'm concerned, and there is absolutely nothing he could say that would change my mind. Not now. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to figure out what I wanted, but I know now. And I'm never letting you go, teme."

"That's good to hear, dobe," Sasuke said, planting an chaste kiss on Nnaruto's lips. "Good night."

"Good night, Sasuke."

-OoOoOoO-

Sasuke slept better than he had in months. Having Naruto's hard, warm body pressed up against his back while he slept was a wonderful feeling. So, when his alarm woke him the next morning, he groaned and reluctantly shifted away from Naruto to silence it. He heard Naruto make a noise of complaint and wrap his arm even more tightly around Sasuke's waist. Sasuke rolled to his back and stretched, his back arching off the bed as he yawned.

"You look like a cat when you do that," Naruto noted sleepily.

"Uh huh. Go get a shower, dobe. I'll make coffee."

"Fine," Naruto yawned, slowly rising out of bed.

Sasuke went about his morning ritual, and he briefly considered jumping Naruto in the shower for some breakfast booty, but decided against it. He knew Naruto wanted to make the break-up official before they could fuck each other senseless, and Sasuke was okay with that. He laughed out loud when he remembered what he'd said to Neji on the phone last night. He had a feeling he'd be dealing with a very pissed off Hyuuga when he got to work this morning, but he found he didn't care. Sasuke felt deliriously happy when he got what he wanted, and he definitely wanted this; Naruto was going to be his and only his, and he would finally be able to shove that fact right down Neji's throat.

He sighed happily and poured himself a cup of coffee. Naruto joined him not two minutes later, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Sasuke drank in the sight, marveling at the way Naruto's blond spikes were momentarily tamed, sticking to his face from the water.

"Better be careful, dobe," Sasuke warned him. "I may have to reconsider letting you do the official breaking up bit and make you fuck me right here on the kitchen counter."

"I may allow it," Naruto husked in return, using his nearly naked body to push Sasuke up against said counter.

"Really?" Sasuke asked, his heart suddenly racing.

Naruto seemed to consider it as he toyed with a lock of Sasuke's hair.

"Nah," he finally said, and Sasuke glared at him. "We don't have time. But I can give you a little taste."

And Naruto kissed him, making him weak in the knees like some blushing virgin. Just like last night, Sasuke didn't feel any of the hesitation he'd felt in any of their previous kisses. It really did seem like Naruto had finally made up his mind and was sure about it this time. Sasuke just hoped his world wouldn't come crashing down around him like it had so many times before. He couldn't handle it again. If Naruto changed his mind again, he decided, that would be the last straw. He would push Naruto out of his life forever. He deserved more than to just be somebody's back-up.

After the steamy make-out session left them both hard and needy, Sasuke decided to take his own shower and get ready for work. As he washed himself, he half wished Naruto would forget about the whole no-sex thing and just jump into the shower with him. It didn't happen, however, and he was forced instead to relieve himself. Sasuke couldn't help but think of Naruto as he came, imagining those bright blue eyes that had always been something of a weakness for him boring into Sasuke as Naruto filled him. He couldn't wait to feel that for real.

Sasuke dried and dressed quickly, examining the hickey Naruto had mentioned. He had been right; nothing was going to hide that monster of a love bite. Oh, well. It was just more evidence to throw in Neji's face.

Naruto and Sasuke left for work at the same time, sharing one last light kiss before getting in their respective cars, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

When he stepped off the elevator to see a certain Hyuuga standing at his office door with his hands on his hips, looking like he was ready to rip someone's head off, Sasuke felt his excitement mount. This was the moment he'd been waiting for. It was time to take Hyuuga Neji down a peg.

"I'm guessing you haven't talked to Naruto yet," he said calmly as he unlocked his office door. He made sure Neji got a good look at his hickey before ushering his infuriated employee into his office.

"That mark on your neck better not be from who I think it's from," Neji spat as he closed Sasuke's office door behind him.

Sasuke smirked.

"Well it's certainly not from Gaara. He dumped me," Sasuke sighed, feigning disappointment. "However, he had a fascinating story to tell me before he did the actual dumping. It concerned a certain... deal."

Sasuke watched in morbid amusement as that news sunk in, and Neji's eyes grew hilariously wide.

"Did you...?" Neji's voice trailed off.

"Tell Naruto?" Sasuke supplied. "Of course. He has a right to know what his boyfriend does behind his back. He was... grateful I told him, to say the least. In summation, Hyuuga," Sasuke smirked again, "you lose."

Neji clearly didn't know what to say. Sasuke could practically see the wheels turning in his head. Sasuke wondered if Neji would hit him, giving him an excuse to fire Neji on the spot. When Neji finally spoke again, he was seemingly calm, but Sasuke could tell he was inwardly fuming.

"Consider this my two weeks notice, Uchiha," he said quietly, looking at the floor.

"So be it," Sasuke sighed, not at all bothered. Neji would be easy to replace. "If that's all, Hyuuga, you're dismissed."

Neji turned on his heel and quickly strode out of Sasuke's office, brushing past Itachi as he walked out. Itachi watched him curiously, then quirked a brow at his brother.

"Was he crying, _otouto_?" he asked quietly as he shut the door behind him.

"I hope so," Sasuke said bitterly as he motioned for Itachi to take the seat across from him.

"Judging from that enormous hickey," Itachi smirked, "I'd have to say the rest of your night went swimmingly after you left the party."

"You have _no_ idea," Sasuke commented, flipping through his phone, then turning it to Itachi.

His brother leaned forward to get a better look at the picture presented to him, then narrowed his eyes at Sasuke.

"Please tell me you did not just show me a picture of Naruto going down on you," he said, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "And please tell me you didn't show that picture to Hyuuga."

"Damn," Sasuke muttered. "I should have."

"That would have just been cruel, Sasuke," Itachi said. "What happened yesterday?"

So Sasuke told him the story. Itachi listened silently, and if he'd been surprised, he didn't show it. When Sasuke finished, he watched Itachi intently. He seemed to be mulling it over.

"What I don't understand," Itachi said at last, "is why. I mean, if it was so obvious to Neji that he and Naruto weren't going to last, why try at all? Why stall the inevitable and set yourself up for more heartache in the end?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"But the reason I'm here," Itachi continued, "is because the real estate agent asked me to give you her number. She's really looking forward to talking to you. Have you decided what you're going to do?"

"I'm going to buy the house, of course," Sasuke said. "I have my blond now. And I want to get the hell out of that crummy apartment, and into a house for just myself and Naruto."

"Have you told him you've been looking?" Itachi asked.

"No," Sasuke answered. "I plan on surprising him tonight after I talk to the real estate agent and make the down payment."

As expected, Sasuke felt ridiculously happy. Everything was finally coming together. He had won.

-OoOoOoO-

Naruto didn't expect the phone call to come so soon. He had already decided he wouldn't answer the call when it came; this wasn't a conversation he wanted everyone in the shop hearing first hand. When he pushed the ignore button, Naruto saw everyone in the shop shoot him curious glances. He ignored them all.

Naruto's text tone went off not 30 seconds later. That, he decided, he could answer. He opened the text and scoffed.

_You deserve an explanation._

_Maybe so. But you don't deserve the opportunity to make excuses_

_No excuses. Just the truth. Let me take you to dinner tonight._

_No. It's over, Neji. Nothing you can say will change that._

_I know. But my side of the story needs to be heard._

_Fine. Meet me at Hokage tonight. I'll make sure my dad leaves us alone. You know what time I clock out._

_How can you be sure he'll leave us alone?_

Naruto rolled his eyes. God, this was getting annoying.

_Because he knows what you did._

_Does everyone know?_

_Probably. These are two very close-knit families we're talking about. Word travels fast._

_Anything else?_

Naruto smirked. It might be a tad evil to bring it up, but...

_Did you see the picture?_

_...There's a picture?_

Well. Naruto hadn't seen that one coming. He'd had the distinct feeling that Sasuke had taken the picture for the sole purpose of tormenting Neji with it.

_It seems Sasuke isn't as evil as I thought. You should be grateful. Goodbye Neji. I'll see you tonight._

When he put his phone down-finally-and looked up, Naruto noticed that everyone in the shop had stopped what they were doing and had taken to staring at him.

"What?" he snapped irritably.

"Trouble in paradise, un?" Deidara guessed.

"I don't want to talk about it," Naruto said simply. "Dei, I'm sure Itachi will tell you everything when he gets off work. And everyone else can eavesdrop for all I care. For one motherfucking day, I'd like to not talk about my love life."

"Wow. It must be really bad if you're not even willing to talk about it," Konan said. She was clearly concerned, and Naruto almost told everyone the entire story.

Then his text tone went off again. He was pissed for all of two seconds before he picked up his phone and saw Sasuke's name displayed on the screen. Naruto smiled a little to himself and opened the text.

_Neji just barged into my office demanding to see the picture. Any thoughts?_

Naruto rolled his eyes again and sighed. Neji just couldn't leave well enoughalone, could he?

_If he wants to see the picture that goddamn bad, show it to him._

_I should warn you, dobe, this picture does not leave anything to the imagination. It's very obvious what you're doing in this picture. Are you sure you want Neji to see that?_

_Send it to me._

Naruto waited while Sasuke sent him the picture. If it was too graphic, he'd ask Sasuke to not show it to Neji. He didn't want to hurt Neji too much. Although, at this point, maybe he deserved it. He was being completely ridiculous from the sound of it. Seriously. Sasuke had to be getting extremely annoyed. It was a damn miracle he hadn't fired Neji yet. The picture came through, and Naruto opened it. Damn. Sasuke was right. This picture literally left nothing to the imagination. The look in his own eyes was one he'd never seen before. There was something wild and primal in his eyes, and it was obvious that he was loving what he was doing. Perhaps Neji shouldn't see this picture.

_Yeah, maybe you should just keep that between us._

_Okay. Just a warning: Neji will probably demand to see it tonight when you guys go to dinner. See you afterward._

_Yeah. You'd better be ready for me when I get home. I don't intend to wait any longer._

_Understood. Can't wait._

The rest of the day passed without anymore distractions. Naruto called his dad to let him know that he and Neji would be at Hokage tonight, and that it was a break-up dinner. Minato promised to leave them to it, that he wouldn't disturb them, and Naruto was satisfied.

As expected, when Itachi showed up at Akatsuki, the first thing Deidara did was ask him about waht happened with Neji. He looked to Naruto for approval, and Naruto waved his hand at him, giving him permission to air his dirty laundry all over the shop. So Itachi told everyone, and Naruto just sat there and listened to his business be spread around like wildfire. Everyone in the shop kept looking at him, and they were all obviously concerned about him. Naruto ignored them. He didn't need their sympathy. He didn't really care anymore, honestly. Tonight, his fantasies would finally become reality. He would finally-_finally-_be able to fuck Sasuke's brains out.

Soon, it was time for the dreaded break-up date. Naruto drove to Hokage, and he saw his dad when he walked in. Minato nodded at him, and smiled just a little. Naruto smiled back, and Minato motioned to the table where Neji was sitting. There were two bottles of sake on the table. One was obviously empty, and the other was slowly being consumed. The glass on the table remained untouched, which told Naruto that Neji had been drinking the sake straight from the bottle.

This was going to be interesting.

Naruto approached the table slowly, half hoping Neji wouldn't spot him so he could just run the other direction. However, Neji did see him, and he quickly stood to greet him. When Naruto got to the table, Neji leaned in for a kiss, and Naruto turned his head just in time to avoid lip contact, so the kiss landed on his cheek.

"I guess I deserved that," Neji said quietly.

"You don't have the right to kiss me anymore," Naruto spat, narrowing his eyes at his now ex-boyfriend.

"I guess I don't..."

Naruto and Neji sat down at the table, and Neji picked the bottle of sake back up and chugged.

"Want some?" he asked, offering the bottle to Naruto.

"No."

"I already ordered for us," Neji informed him. "Ordered you ramen, of course."

"Thanks," Naruto said quickly. Now it was time to get down to business. "So tell me. Why?"

"I just..." Neji began. "I just wanted to have you for as long as possible. I knew that as soon as Sasuke was single, he would step his game up. And I would lose you, even if I didn't want to."

"Let me let you in on something, Neji," Naruto said, ready to make his admission. "While we were on vacation, if you would have asked me to completely forget about Sasuke, and be with you forever, I would have done it. And then I found out about this. You fucked up big, Neji. When?"

"Wait," Neji said. "Do you mean that? You really would have committed to me forever?"

"Yeah, Neji," Naruto confessed. "I loved you. I loved you _so fucking much._ Do you even realize how badly you hurt me? Now answer my goddamn question: when?"

"The day after whatever happened between you and Sasuke," Neji confessed, looking down at the table and chugging the sake again.

"I see," Naruto said.

Just then, the waiter brought their food, and for a while, they were silent. They ate in uncomfortable silence, and Neji kept glancing at Naruto, expecting... _something._ Probably something Naruto couldn't give him. Forgiveness. Understanding, maybe. Sympathy.

"I want to see the picture," Neji said at last.

"No, you don't," Naruto said in return.

"I really do," Neji pressed. "I at least want to know what it is."

So Naruto conceded. He opened the picture on his phone and turned it toward Neji, who leaned forward and looked at it for a long time. His face fell, and he leaned back.

"So it's really over..." he said quietly.

"Neji, it was over last night," Naruto said. "It was over when I found out what you did. You just didn't know about it yet. But you do now. What are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?" Neji asked.

"I mean, what's next for Hyuuga Neji?" Naruto said.

"Well, after I leave here," Neji said carefully, "I'm going out to the bar and getting shit-wrecked. It seems like the only logical decision at this point. After that, I don't know."

"So you're not going to Gaara's?" Naruto snorted.

"No," Neji said, defeated. "I probably shouldn't go through with it."

"But you have to," Naruto stressed. "It was a deal. You can't go back on something like that." 

"Fine. But just because you want me to."

"I _don't _want you to," Naruto corrected him. "But you _should._ Thanks for the ramen. I'm going home."

"To fuck Sasuke?" Neji asked bitterly.

"Yeah, actually," Naruto snapped, irritated. "Not that it's any of your business. Goodbye, Neji. Have a good life."

Naruto got up, threw his napkin on the table, and left. It was over. It was finally fucking over. Now, he could go home, and he would finally have his Sasuke. He would have Sasuke forever. Naruto felt a warm wave of relief wash over him as he got in his car. Part of Naruto felt bad for Neji, but most of him just wanted to get home. He pulled up in front of the apartment complex, and readied himself.

This was it.

He sighed happily, and got out of the car.

-OoOoOoO-

Neji wanted to fucking die.

Okay, so maybe that was a little over-dramatic. But he did want to forget. What he had told Naruto was true. He was going to the bar. Right now. He needed to get shitfaced, and just fucking forget about today. And the past three months, for that matter. The revelation that Naruto had been prepared to give Sasuke up for him really hurt. He had never expected that. He wished Naruto had told him.

But it was over now... It was fucking over.

Neji paid for his and Naruto's meal-the last meal they would ever have together-and got in the Mustang; the car that held so many memories. And Neji broke down. He finally let himself cry. This was the worst goddamn day of his life. He knew it would be, but he honestly hadn't expected it to hurt this fucking much.

Vodka. Or tequila. Or whiskey. He needed some kind of hard liquor. _Now._ It might actually make this easier... But he doubted it.

-OoOoOoO-

**A/N: If there were any typos during the break-up scene, I'm really sorry. I've been drinking with my housemates... (frozen mixed drinks, beer, and lemonade vodka) (and seriously, it's okay for me to be drunk. i'm of age.) .**

**Katie's note: I apologize for missbip0lar's shitty typing. I got her drunk. And I appreciate all the great reviews to my bff. Her writing makes me squee. I love it just as much as you guys do! ^_^**

**A/N: Sorry, guys. That was my roomie and bff. She hijacked her compy for a hot sec to write to you. Okay, I'm gonna post my longest chapter EVER (23 motherfucking pages! WOOOHOOOOOOOO!)! Just so you know, the next chapter will begin with NaruSasu smut, like you've all been anxiously waiting for. I'll try my very best to get it out asap. I have already started writing it. Like I said up top, it's just chapter 8 and an epilogue after this. And then... we're done... You guys should really feed that review monster. He's getting hungry as fuck.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Once more, I do not own Naruto, Sasuke, or any of their friends or family members. All I own is this plot, and the various unimportant OCs scattered throughout this story.**

**Warnings: Lemons. Numerous lemons. **_**Graphic**_** rimming scene (What can I say? I kinda love it .). MAJOR Neji angst. Talk of suicide. OOC Itachi. Use of homophobic slurs. Fluff.**

**A/N: What's this? An **_**early**_** update from missbip0lar? I honestly thought this chapter would be late as hell. For those of you who don't know (which is probably all of you, honestly), this story has been written and re-written so many times it makes my head spin. The chapters all start in a notebook, and are then revised and re-written onto the computer. This chapter could very well be my longest chapter yet. It weighs in at a massive 62 pages in my notebook. The first lemon itself is 14 pages long! However, having filled up my first notebook with chapters 1-7, chapter 8 began a brand new notebook, and I inadvertently bought wide ruled rather than my preferred college ruled. So I'm not sure if the chapter is really as long as it seems, because my hand-writing is ridiculously huge... Because of the sheer number of pages, I have decided to write a chapter 9, and THEN an epilogue. So, there are two more chapters after this, rather than the one I had planned. Okay, okay, I'm rambling now...**

**Mood Music: So, while I was writing Neji's scene (which is dark... you have been warned), two songs popped into my head, and I haven't been able to get them out since: "I Dreamed A Dream" and "On My Own", both from **_**Les Miserables. **_**You should live in my head. I swear, it's all yaoi and Broadway up there. On to the chapter!**

**Added note about the first lemon: I combined Naruto and Sasuke's POV for this scene, because their first time just seemed too epic to be viewed from just Naruto's or just Sasuke's perspective.**

-OoOoOoO-

Naruto barged into the apartment, slamming and locking the door behind him. There would be no interruptions this time around. Naruto didn't give a flying fuck how many times their phones rang; all calls would go unanswered tonight. He kicked his shoes off at the door, then made his way to the living room in search of Sasuke. _His_ Sasuke. Finally. As expected, Sasuke was seated on the couch, his nose shoved in a book. Naruto was both pleased and annoyed to find that Sasuke had wasted no time diving into the book Naruto had bought him for his birthday. Naruto just stood there, with his arms crossed, waiting for Sasuke to acknowledge him.

"Can I help you, dobe?" He said at last, not looking up.

"Put the book down, Sasuke," Naruto said at length. "It's time."

"Time for what?" Sasuke asked innocently, still not removing his eyes from the book in his hands.

"Don't play dumb, teme," Naruto snapped, ripping the book from Sasuke's grasp and throwing it across the room.

"I was reading that," Sasuke sighed, finally looking up at Naruto.

"It can wait until I'm done fucking you into oblivion," Naruto growled, jumping on top of Sasuke and kissing him hungrily.

Sasuke's innocent routine faded pretty quickly after that. He wove his hands in Naruto's blond spikes, suddenly desperate to have him closer. Naruto tore Sasuke's shirt open, and buttons flew across the room in every direction.

"Fuck, dobe," Sasuke gritted out. "That was a designer shirt."

"I don't fucking care," Naruto chuckled, kissing Sasuke again.

"Wait," Sasuke said, breaking the kiss once more. "How did the break-up go?"

"God, teme, I never thought I'd have to tell you to shut the hell up for two minutes," Naruto grumbled. "I'll tell you later. I promise. Right now, I just want to focus on us."

"Bedroom?" Sasuke asked, finally getting the hint.

"Yours or mine?" Naruto asked in return.

"Mine," Sasuke answered. "Now."

They stood together and kissed again, running their fingers through one another's hair, just savoring the taste of each other. They groaned in unison, and Sasuke pushed Naruto across the floor toward his bedroom. They removed each other's clothes as they went, and their hands were everywhere, fingers tracing lightly along one another's skin. Naruto stumbled over his discarded pants and boxers as Sasuke shoved him into the room.

Once inside Sasuke's bedroom, they hesitated, almost unsure of what to do now that they had each other naked. Nervousness painted both of their features as their eyes raked over each other's naked forms.

"God, Sasuke," Naruto breathed in awe. "You're the most perfect thing I've ever seen."

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" Sasuke asked, his voice coming out slightly shaky. "If we do this, it will change the dynamics of our relationship forever."

"Teme, are you..." Naruto searched for the right word. "Are you scared?"

"Terrified," Sasuke confessed. "If this relationship doesn't work out, it could be the end of our friendship. Is it worth the risk?"

"Yes," Naruto insisted, stepping right up to Sasuke and lightly touching his face. "Life is all about taking chances, Sasuke. That's what you told me when Neji and I first got together. Take your own advice for once. This _will_ work. I'm sure of it. We've both been looking forward to this for a really long time. Don't you want me anymore?"

"Of course I do, Naruto," Sasuke assured him, mimicking the blond's actions and caressing his cheek.

They kissed again, slowly this time, their tongues timidly exploring each other. Sasuke made a small noise, a tiny sign to Naruto that yes, he wanted this. He wanted it more than he could ever hope to convey. There were simply no words for just how badly Sasuke wanted this. He just didn't want to do this-lay himself completely bare to Naruto-only to have it ripped unceremoniously away from him when Naruto got bored with him. But how could he voice his concerns without upsetting Naruto, and therefore unintentionally putting a stop to all this, to his fantasies coming to life... So he wouldn't say anything. He would let this happen, and deal with the ensuing chaos when-and if-it happened.

"Naruto, how do you want me?" Sasuke asked, the words arousing him more than he thought possible.

"Forever," was Naruto's simple answer, and it made Sasuke's heart leap.

"I hope so," he returned. "But that wasn't what I meant. I meant, what position do you want me in?"

"All fours,"Naruto purred, sending shivers down Sasuke's spine. "Neji would never let me have it like that, and I love it."

"Neji wouldn't let you fuck him from behind?" Sasuke asked as he got up on the bed. "Why?"

"Said it was undignified," Naruto shrugged, taking his place behind Sasuke.

"Yeah," Sasuke said sarcastically, "because everything else about taking it up the ass is _so_ dignified."

"Shut up, teme, you know you love it."

He did indeed, but he wasn't about to admit it right now. Sasuke let his upper body sink to the mattress, assuming the desired position. All his previous partners had absolutely loved Sasuke in this position, and for the life of him, Sasuke couldn't figure out why. Surely his ass wasn't so great that it needed to be hoisted this far into the air.

Sasuke's thoughts were brought to an abrupt halt when he felt something warm and wet prodding against his entrance. Surely that couldn't be... Naruto's tongue. Sasuke lifted his upper body a little off the bed and glanced behind him, only to discover that Naruto did, in fact, have his face pressed right up against Sasuke's entrance.

"Don't do _that,_ dobe!" Sasuke exclaimed, but his protests stopped when he felt both of Naruto's thumbs press inside him and spread him impossibly wide.

The tongue was back, delving deeper this time, aided by Naruto's thumbs. Sasuke wanted to protest again, but he felt Naruto's tongue move inside him, and his protests only came out as a moan. Naruto's tongue went deep, but not quite deep enough. Sasuke bucked his hips back, in spite of himself, trying to push Naruto's tongue further inside. Sasuke hadn't expected something so intrusive to feel so... good...

Naruto was in heaven. Sasuke was making these noises, all wanton and needy, and the taste of him wasn't nearly as off-putting as he thought it would be. He pushed his tongue as deep as it would go, Sasuke's prostate hovering just barely out of reach. He tried again to hit that spot, eager to hear Sasuke cry out when he finally found it.

"Right there!" Sasuke shouted suddenly, and Naruto knew he'd done it. He repeated his previous actions, and Sasuke shouted again. His tongue was starting to hurt, though, so he reluctantly removed it from Sasuke and replaced it instead with his fingers. Two fingers slipped easily inside, and Sasuke groaned into his pillow.

Sasuke was sure that Naruto's fingers could easily make him come if he kept up what he was doing.

"Naruto, I need you inside me."

"And you'll have it," Naruto replied, not removing his fingers. (_God,_ Sasuke thought, _this teasing will be the absolute death of me.)_ "But not yet. I want this to last for as long as possible."

Sasuke didn't fucking care. He swatted Naruto's hand away and quickly gained control of the situation, hurriedly switching their positions so Naruto was lying on his back and Sasuke was on top of him. He reached behind him and grasped Naruto's erection, lining it up with his own waiting hole.

"I _said_ I want you _inside me_," Sasuke said, and in one swift movement, he sat down, impaling himself on Naruto's cock.

"Oh, my God," they gasped in unison.

The initial feeling of being filled momentarily took Sasuke's breath away-it always did. He fucking loved that feeling. And Naruto. Naruto filled him more completely than anyone had before. It was like the mysteries of life were no longer mysteries; everything suddenly made sense in that moment.

Sasuke's constricting heat clamping down on him had Naruto seeing white.

They fit together perfectly, like two pieces of the same puzzle, and they both finally understood what had been missing from their lives. This shared intimacy between the best friends was what they had been waiting for literally for their entire lives. No words were needed right now; they both instinctively knew what the other was thinking. They smiled at the same time, and Naruto reached up and caressed Sasuke's arm. And Sasuke was no longer afraid. This _would_ work. Somehow, he knew that now.

Sasuke started moving, riding Naruto at a gentle pace. Up until this moment, Naruto had been sure that no one would ever be able to make him feel as good as Neji had. But, God, Sasuke... Sasuke completed him, in every sense of the word. Sasuke was the Yin to his Yang-or was it the other way around? It didn't matter anymore. They were together now; that's all that mattered. Naruto closed his eyes in bliss. Every movement Sasuke made was like lightning in his veins. It was, in a word, perfect.

"Please tell me this is as good for you as it is for me," Naruto panted.

"Indescribable," Sasuke managed between moans.

Naruto pulled Sasuke down for a kiss. It was sloppy and rough, and they both moaned into each other's mouths. Sasuke broke off the kiss and sat up, leaning back and bracing his hands on Naruto's knees. From this angle, Naruto could see everything. He rolled his hips and watched in awe as his arousal slid in and out of Sasuke. Sasuke, for his part, was throwing his head back and crying out loudly. That angle was just as amazing for him, and it made the sensations almost too intense.

Sasuke straightened up again, and Naruto grabbed his hips, thrusting sharply upward to plunge himself impossibly deeper inside Sasuke. Sasuke screamed in ecstasy. Naruto had always known Sasuke was a screamer, but to be the one actually making him scream like that was, like Sasuke had said, indescribable. Naruto wrapped his arm around Sasuke's waist and, without pulling out, switched their positions. Sasuke was laying at the foot of the bed, his head hanging off the edge, and Naruto wrapped his arms under Sasuke's thighs and rolled his hips again.

Sasuke screamed once more and tore at the comforter, desperate to have something to hold on to to prevent himself from coming apart at the seams.

"Harder!" he urged, so Naruto thrust just a little harder. "Don't fucking take it easy on me, dobe! I can handle it."

"Music to my ears," Naruto growled.

His thrusts became relentless after that, and Sasuke couldn't hold his voice back anymore (Naruto was surprised he'd been holding back before... he was already so loud...). He was screaming unintelligible gibberish at this point, every once in awhile brokenly shouting Naruto's name.

"Who do you belong to?" Naruto demanded.

Sasuke tried to answer, he really did, but the way Naruto was being so forceful and dominating was turning him on too much for him to speak.

"The question wasn't rhetorical, bastard," Naruto said, pounding once again into Sasuke's prostate. "I said, 'Who the fuck do you belong to?'"

"_YOU!"_ Sasuke shouted, screwing his eyes shut. "...Only you."

"Do you love me, Sasuke?"

This time, the question didn't match the roughness of his thrusts. The question this time was quiet, almost uncertain.

Sasuke opened his eyes to find Naruto staring down at him expectantly.

"Yes, Naruto," he breathed. "I love you."

"Good. Now I want you to come."

"I can't come on comma-_hah!_"

Evidently, Sasuke _could_ come on command. His orgasm lasted for forever, and he found himself screaming Naruto's name over and over again while he continued to thrust inside him, riding out his own release.

They panted heavily in the afterglow of their orgasms, sweat pouring off them in streams.

"Shower?" Naruto suggested breathlessly.

"Give me a minute," Sasuke requested in return. "Let me... catch my breath."

They looked at each other and smiled. All was finally right in their world.

-OoOoOoO-

Even as Neji lay on this uncomfortable mattress in this seedy motel room, with that nameless stranger from earlier's essence oozing out of him, he felt the regret wash over him yet again. Not regret for what just happened, but regret for what he'd done to Naruto. He was crying again, and he felt absolutely ridiculous.

Neji had never been one for anonymous sex, especially unprotected, but he didn't have anything more to lose at this point. The looming danger of HIV didn't scare him anymore; it may actually be a fitting way to go. He briefly considered following in his father's footsteps, but his rational mind knew suicide wasn't the answer, as appealing as the idea might be. Neji vaguely entertained the idea of locking himself in his garage, in the back seat of his car-the setting of his favorite memory-and listening to carbon monoxide lullabies until everything faded to black.

Oh, God. What the hell was wrong with him? Aside from the fact that he screwed up his last chance at happiness, of course. He groaned again and rolled onto his back on the sticky mattress. The stranger from before-what had his name been? Fuck it, Neji was too drunk to remember-had silently left the motel room right after he'd finished, leaving Neji to wallow in his drunken self-pity. Not that Neji had particularly cared. It would have been awkward to try and hold a conversation with the man when all he wanted to do was cry.

The vodka Neji had been drinking tonight had done nothing to help him forget. It had just made him even more depressed, so when the stranger started propositioning him, he went with it, hoping sex would help where the vodka wasn't able to. It hadn't worked, obviously, and all Neji could think about the entire time the man was thrusting into him was Naruto and Sasuke, and what they were doing at the exact same moment. In reality, it was all he could think about.

Fucking Sasuke... Neji could not fucking wait to be done with Uchiha Corp. He would have to revise his resume and start e-mailing it to different companies soon. Two weeks really wasn't that long. Maybe his uncle's offer was still on the table. Maybe he could become partner at Byakugan Industries. Then again, working for his uncle would mean he would have to deal with the Uchihas. So maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all.

Neji didn't even notice in his drunken stupor when his eyelids started to get heavy. Soon, he was asleep, in that dingy motel room that stunk like sweat and sex.

Neji felt like a goddamn whore.

-OoOoOoO-

After their shower-their first shower together-Naruto tried to talk Sasuke into round two. Sasuke wasn't having it. He insisted instead on "showing something to Naruto". Naruto, personally, didn't care what Sasuke had to show him. He was still raring to go. Impatiently, he sat down on the couch next to Sasuke, while the Uchiha opened his laptop. Naruto peeked over Sasuke's shoulder to look at the computer screen, and he was opening an e-mail from Itachi. When the e-mail was completely loaded, Sasuke set the laptop on Naruto's knees and ordered him to look at the pictures. Naruto figured that if he went along with it, he could very well get sex again, so he sighed and turned his attention to the computer in front of him.

The pictures staring back at Naruto were of a house.

It was large-very large-and extremely modern, with four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. The master bedroom was incredible, with a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the koi pond in the back yard. The en suite bathroom was just as impressive. It had two sinks, a massive bath tub, and an even more massive shower. Naruto could think of quite a few things he'd like to do to Sasuke in a shower that big.

"Why are you showing me this?" Naruto wanted to know.

"Do you like it?" Sasuke asked in return, clearly dodging Naruto's question.

"I do," Naruto said carefully. "But you didn't answer my question."

"Well I'm glad you like it," Sasuke said, "because we're moving in this weekend."

"You bought us a house?" Naruto exclaimed excitedly. "_This_ house?"

"I did," Sasuke confirmed, wearing that smug little half-smile that Naruto both loved and hated. "I made the down payment today. The movers will be here at 10 o'clock sharp Saturday morning. By Saturday evening, you and I will officially be giving up apartment life. We'll be home-owners."

Naruto set the laptop aside and stood, pulling Sasuke to his feet as well, and wrapped his lover in a tight hug. Naruto couldn't believe this was happening. Everything in his life was falling perfectly into place. Things just could not get any better than they were right now.

And then, things did get better.

Sex with Sasuke, round two, was even more spectacular than round one had been. Rounds three and four were even better than that. Inspired, Naruto insisted they stay at it all night, just to see if it really would get better and better every time. He was not disappointed.

-OoOoOoO-

Sasuke literally limped into work the next day, with a travel mug of coffee in one hand, and two energy drinks tucked safely inside his briefcase that was held in the other. He wasn't in a particularly foul mood. He couldn't be; not when he had spent the entire night before getting exactly what he wanted. But every muscle in Sasuke's body screamed at him, and he'd be lucky to get through the day without falling asleep at his desk. He would need a distraction; anything to keep him awake until he got back to the apartment. Then, he was going to bed. If Naruto wanted sex tonight, he would just have to fuck an already sleeping Sasuke. He did not care.

Sasuke stopped at his office door and set his briefcase down on the floor. He fished through his pocket for his keys, only to drop them on the floor. He sighed and picked them up, wincing at the ever-present ache in his backside that was a constant reminder of the wonderful-albeit exhausting-events from last night. Sasuke felt his keys being gently taken from him, and looked up to see his brother, who deftly put the key in the lock and opened Sasuke's office door. Sasuke grunted his thanks, too tired to speak, and trudged inside, with Itachi following close behind. Sasuke set his briefcase down on the desk and sat behind said desk, thankful that the seat was as soft as it was. He folded his arms across his desk and laid his head down, slowly drifting off to sleep.

"You look like hell," Itachi said at last, reminding his brother he was still there.

"I feel like hell, too," Sasuke grumbled in return, lifting his head off the desk and resting his chin in his hand.

"And your voice is hoarse," Itachi observed. "What the hell happened last night?"

"Naruto," Sasuke answered. Seeing the confused look on his brother's normally stoic face, he chose to elaborate. "Naruto happened. He's completely insatiable, and he loves to hear me scream. We fucked all night. We didn't even sleep."

"Sounds as though you've bitten off a little more than you can chew, _otouto,_" Itachi smirked. "So how many times?"

"I lost count," Sasuke replied honestly. "Six... seven.. twenty, maybe. I don't know." He smiled, thinking back. "It was worth it."

"Well you're not the only one who had a long night," Itachi whispered scandalously.

_Here we go,_ Sasuke thought. This was his brother's one vice, and it was in complete contrast to everything you'd think about the guy: Itachi was a sucker for gossip.

"Oh?" Sasuke asked, encouraging his brother. "Who else, _aniki?_"

"Hyuuga," Itachi answered quietly.

"Really? And how do you know that?"

"When you get a chance, take a good look at him," Itachi suggested. "He's hungover beyond belief, his hair hasn't been brushed, and he's wearing the exact same thing he wore yesterday."

Just then, there as a knock on Sasuke's office door.

"Enter," Sasuke said.

The door opened, and, _Well speak of the devil, _there stood Neji. Just as Itachi had said, he was clearly hungover, his hair was a godawful mess, and he was, in fact, wearing the same shirt and tie he wore yesterday. He was wearing a look on his face that Sasuke recognized; he'd seen it in the mirror one too many times when he was younger. He could definitely sympathize with what Neji was going through. If Sasuke looked like hell, it had nothing on how Neji looked.

"Coffee won't help," Neji said shortly.

"Really?" Sasuke asked, unsure of where this conversation was headed. "And how would you know?"

"In case you've already forgotten, I've experienced the first night with Naruto," Neji reminded him. "The only cure for what you're feeling is one or two more rounds, and about twelve hours of sleep."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

"Just a piece of friendly advice," Neji told him. "Karma is already kicking my ass pretty hard, so I thought I'd come by and offer up my advice. Oh, and just so you know: he's in no better shape than you are right now. Naruto may have the stamina of a god, but he's still human. Exhaustion hits him just as hard as it would hit anyone else. Maybe even harder, because of how much effort he puts in to make sure his partner is satisfied. My biggest piece of advice? Take tomorrow off. You'll need it to catch up on your sleep. You really should have done it today."

Neji turned to walk away.

"Neji," Sasuke called after him, and he turned. "Thanks."

Neji smiled, barely visible, and walked out the door.

Sasuke flipped through his appointment book. Thankfully, tomorrow was open. No meetings, no deadlines, completely open.

"Itachi," Sasuke said. "Make sure nobody schedules anything for me tomorrow. I'm following Neji's advice and taking a personal day."

-OoOoOoO-

Naruto, indeed, was in no better shape than Sasuke. It felt a little like the day after the concert, all those months ago, but today, he couldn't afford to go home early. He had an appointment just before close, and it was one of his regular clients, so Naruto was bound to get a decent tip.

Naruto took another swig of his energy drink, and noticed Deidara eyeing him. He looked at the other blond curiously. Deidara just smiled and shook his head.

"You obviously have something to say, Deidara," Naruto sighed. "So spit it out already."

"No, no," Deidara chuckled. "It's nothing. I'm sure you want to keep last night's activities to yourself. Just one thing, though. Did Sasuke unveil the big surprise?"

"You mean the house?" Naruto asked, confused.

"So he did tell you," Deidara grinned.

"How do you know about that?" Naruto wanted to know.

"Ah, so he didn't tell you everything," Deidara observed. "The house Sasuke bought is right across the street from Itachi and me. We'll be neighbors, un!"

"Will you guys be helping with the move this weekend?" Naruto asked.

"Do you really think the spoiled rotten Uchiha brothers are going to lift a finger?" Deidara snorted. "I have a feeling it'll just be me, you, and the movers, un."

"Good point," Naruto chuckled. "Those two will probably just order us around while we do all the heavy lifting. Why do we put up with them?"

"Because they're good in bed," Deidara winked. "As I'm sure you found out last night. Multiple times, if I had to guess."

"Nine times, to be exact," Naruto said smugly. "Not that I was keeping track or anything."

"You had sex with Sasuke _nine times_ last night?" Konan cut in. "How the hell are you still awake?"

"Sheer willpower," Naruto answered, taking another drink from his can of liquid caffeine. "What amazes me is that Sasuke is still able to walk... Or talk, for that matter. I'm also amazed that we didn't get a visit from the cops with the way Sasuke was screaming all night."

"Well it certainly didn't take you long to move on," Konan commented.

"Eh, it's been a long time coming."

"Yeah," Deidara agreed. "Like I've said before, those Uchiha men have a thing for blue-eyed blonds. It was only a matter of time."

Naruto's lunch break came and went, and part of him found himself missing his daily lunch visits from Neji. He wondered if he'd be able to talk Sasuke into continuing the tradition, so he could actually eat during his lunch breaks, and so he could see Sasuke during the day. He was missing his teme already.

Naruto finished off his energy drink, grateful that it seemed to be working, if only a little. Sure, he was still exhausted, but at least now he was confident that he could get through the day. Then tonight, he would give Sasuke a break. He probably needed it, honestly. He had tried-and failed miserably-to hide his discomfort from Naruto this morning. The Uchiha pride really was a creature of its own.

Sasuke, though he'd had a number of partners before Naruto (Mikoto hadn't been joking when she'd called Sasuke promiscuous), clearly hadn't been completely prepared for Naruto. His limp this morning had been pronounced, and his voice had been hoarse from screaming-repeatedly-all night long. Sasuke had bruises on his hips and thighs in the shapes of Naruto's fingers, and Naruto loved seeing him marked like that.

Naruto, for his part, hadn't come out unscathed either. He had about twenty or so bite marks-not hickeys, mind you. Bite marks-all over his chest and shoulders, while his back looked like he'd been mauled by a small tiger. No one had ever made him bleed during sex before. Sasuke had been dead serious when he said he liked it rough, and Naruto was hardly complaining. If he was being honest with himself, he couldn't wait to do it again.

A little after five, Naruto was deep in his sketchbook, finishing up the sketch for his client's tattoo. When the door to the shop jingled open, Naruto didn't even look up. He knew it was Itachi, and he saw him breeze over to Deidara's station out of the corner of his eye. What did catch his attention, however, was a familiar hand reaching for his pencil.

"Dobe," a voice said when Naruto snatched his pencil away from the hand. "Get your nose out of your sketchbook for a minute."

"Hold on, teme," Naruto grunted. "I have to finish this before Takashi gets here. Let me just... finish this up."

"Do I at least get a kiss?" Sasuke asked, offended.

Naruto looked up from his sketchbook and blinked a few times.

"Of course," he said. "Sorry, Sasuke. I have a tendency to develop a little bit of tunnel vision regarding my sketchbook."

Naruto reached up and placed his hand on the back of Sasuke's neck, gently pulling him down for a chaste peck on the lips.

"How was work, teme?" Naruto asked against his lover's lips.

"Eh," Sasuke shrugged. "It was work. Neji looked like shit today."

"Hungover?" Naruto guessed, kissing Sasuke's lips once more.

"Among other things," Sasuke said. "He clearly hasn't been home since yesterday morning."

"What do dyou mean?" Naruto asked.

"Remember the infamous 'Walk of Shame' in college?"

"You mean going to class in the same outfit you wore the day before?" Naruto asked. "Yeah, I remember that. If my memory serves me correctly, you were famous for taking the 'Walk of Shame' at least twice a week."

"Yeah," Sasuke said nostalgically. "Pity I was never actually ashamed by the Walk of Shame. Anyway, Neji took the infamous walk today."

Naruto's eyes grew wide. That was a shock. Had he already made good on his deal with Gaara?

"Weird," he said nonchalantly. "I didn't expect him to actually go through with the deal."

"I don't think he did," Sasuke said at length. "He said something today about Karma kicking his ass. _I_ think he got drunk and fucked some random stranger."

"No way," Naruto chuckled. "That's not like him."

"I think Sasuke's right," Itachi cut in. "I'd recognize that look on his face anywhere. Sasuke had a habit of wearing the exact same look when he'd come to my dorm after a night out to avoid Mother and Father's criticism."

"Wow, teme," Naruto said. "Promiscuous just doesn't quite seem to cover it, huh?"

"Yeah, okay," Sasuke grumbled. "I may have been a whore, but at least I had the common sense to always use protection."

"And somehow you still weren't prepared for the awesomeness that is Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto noted smugly.

"What can I say, dobe?" Sasuke murmured. "I've just never had a seme quite like you."

A collective "Awh" swept over the shop, and Naruto felt his face heat up. Just what the hell was going on here? Sasuke didn't do sweet. It was way out of character for him.

"Get a grip on yourself, teme," Naruto said, rolling his eyes. "This cutesy act is unbecoming of you. And kinda creepy."

Sasuke responded by smacking Naruto hard on the back of the head, and fixing him with his signature glare.

"That's better," Naruto grinned. "There's the Sasuke I fell in love with."

"And you accuse _me_ of being cutesy," Sasuke muttered, shaking his head.

Sasuke jumped up on to the counter and watched as Naruto dove back into his sketchbook. Naruto's tunnel vision was back; he was completely immersed in the drawing he was finishing up. Just as he completed the drawing and set the sketchbook down, his client, Takashi, walked through the door.

"Hey, Takashi," he smiled. "You're early."

"Too early?" Takashi asked.

"Not at all," Naruto assured him. "I just finished the sketch and was getting ready to transfer it to the stencil. Wanna see it first?"

"Sure."

Naruto brought him the sketchbook, and Takashi looked the drawing over quickly.

"It's perfect," he said.

So Naruto set to work. It was 6:30 now, and if he wanted to be finished by eight, he'd have to hurry. The tattoo Takashi requested wouldn't be particular difficult, it just required a lot of shading. Naruto glanced over at Sasuke and smiled. This would be a first for him, Naruto realized, and he wondered if Sasuke watching him work would make him reconsider getting his own ink.

-OoOoOoO-

Sasuke had never seen this side of Naruto before. He looked on in awe as his normally hyperactive lover became a completely different person as soon as he slipped on his latex gloves. His workplace was neat and orderly, and he had this look on his face of absolute concentration. He didn't even seem to blink as he dragged his tattoo gun across the man's skin. Naruto and his client were holding an amiable conversation, but it didn't break the blond's concentration. He kept glancing up at Sasuke, an action that would usually be distracting for him, and he would smile just a little before going back to work. Sasuke wondered if Naruto was trying to gauge his reaction to what he was seeing.

Sasuke slipped on his usual mask of cool impassiveness, and Naruto rolled his eyes. Sasuke would tell him later just how impressed he was watching the dobe work. It almost-_almost_-made him reconsider his previous aversions to getting a tattoo. Perhaps someday, he and Naruto could get matching tattoos. Someday.

"So is that your boyfriend?" he heard the man ask.

Naruto thought about it for a moment.

"I dunno," he answered. "Is that what we are, Sasuke? Or are we just best friends that fuck each other? I know what _I'd_ prefer, but it's up to you."

"Dobe, I gave up on casual sex a long time ago," Sasuke said. "This is a relationship. I'd assumed we'd made that perfectly clear last night when you demanded to know who I belonged to."

"Oh, yeah," Naruto chuckled, going a little pink around the ears. "I almost forgot about that. Well, there's your answer, Takashi."

"You have a thing for pretty boys, don't you?" Takashi asked, and Naruto burst into laughter. Sasuke was offended.

"I am not pretty," he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, quit whining, teme," Naruto laughed. "You're very pretty. Your attitude may not be pretty, but you are. And, yes, Takashi. Pretty boys have always been my thing."

"You should see him drool when we watch anime," Sasuke said, deciding to ignore Naruto's claims that he was pretty.

"I understand that," Takashi said. "Some of those anime boys are so pretty, they make me drool, and I'm straight."

"See, teme?" Naruto said. "I'm not the only one who can appreciate a well-drawn anime boy."

"I just don't understand it," Sasuke said flippantly. "I mean, they're made of ink. What's attractive about ink?"

"Watch what you say, un," Deidara warned. "Need I remind you that you are in a tattoo shop? Everyone here thinks ink is sexy."

Various murmurs of agreement were heard over the shop, and for some reason, Sasuke suddenly felt the need to defend himself.

"That's not the kind of ink I was talking about," Sasuke explained. "Naruto's tattoos are extremely sexy. Animated boys on a screen or in a manga are not."

"You think my tattoos are sexy?" Naruto asked, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Sasuke.

Talk about fishing for compliments.

"Yes, dobe," Sasuke admitted. "I've always thought your tattoos were hot. I especially like that Uchiha crest on your arm. It means you're mine."

"It hasn't always meant that, teme," Naruto chuckled. "When I got it two years ago, it was meant to symbolize my best friend. Now, though, I guess it does mean I'm yours."

"Damn right it does."

"Possessive much?" Itachi asked.

Sasuke ignored him.

"All right, Takashi," Naruto said at last, straightening up and admiring his work. "You're all done. You know where the mirror is."

Takashi stood and made his way to the full-length mirror on the other side of the room. Sasuke slid off the counter and stepped up to Naruto, tracing his fingers along the whisker marks on his cheeks. Naruto smiled and kissed him gently. Kissing Naruto always had an immediate effect on his body. Maybe more sex wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"You know," Naruto said, barely above a whisper, "I _was_ going to give you a break tonight, but now that you're here, I really don't know if I can hold off too much longer."

"I was just thinking the same thing."

It amazed Sasuke how their minds seemed to work in tandem sometimes. He smirked at Naruto and kissed him again.

"I just can't get enough of you, teme," Naruto mumbled against his mouth, his blue eyes piercing Sasuke to his core. "You're in my soul now."

"Same here," Sasuke agreed. "Why the hell did we wait so long to do this?"

"Because I was stubborn and stupid and blind to what was right in front of me," Naruto admitted. "So what did you think of watching me work?"

"I was very impressed," Sasuke told him. "I may even reconsider getting my own someday."

"Really?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"Really," Sasuke confirmed. "But I want you to do it when I decide what I want."

"I'd be glad to," Naruto said, wrapping his arms around Sasuke's waist and pulling him insanely close. "I'll even do it at home. In private."

Sasuke didn't even hear him. His neurons weren't firing right anymore, being in this close proximity to Naruto. If it had been anyone else in the world who had themselves pressed this intimately against him with this many people around, Sasuke would have been freaking out. With Naruto, though, it felt natural, and he had a way of making Sasuke forget there was anyone else in the world, let alone in the general vicinity. That's why, when his hand dipped lower from its perch on Naruto's abdomen and traced along the top of the blond's jeans, Sasuke didn't understand the look Naruto was giving him. Then, someone in the shop cleared their throat, and Sasuke came back to reality.

He quickly stepped away from Naruto, who grinned widely at him and walked to the front counter to ring his client out. Maybe they should go out to dinner tonight, their forst date as a real couple. Takashi walked out of the shop shortly after, and Naruto came back to his station, counting his tip money.

"We should go to Hokage tonight," Naruto suggested.

"You have to stop doing that, dobe."

"Doing what?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Saying exactly what I'm thinking," Sasuke told him, and Naruto grinned again.

"Great minds think alike," he shrugged.

So after Naruto helped close up the shop, they went to Hokage. They walked in hand in hand, and Minato flashed them a grin, which his son returned, proving once again that the Namikaze genes were strong. He was in rare form tonight, apparently pleased that Naruto and Sasuke were finally together. As expected, he insisted that everything would be free of charge, so Naruto and Sasuke ate their fill. Naruto excitedly told his dad about the new house, and Minato congratulated them both, offering his offer to help with the move. They gladly accepted.

Sasuke had to practically drag Naruto from his fourth bowl of ramen. He was beginning to get tired again (obviously energy drinks only worked for so long), and he still wanted to have sex with Naruto once or twice before finally going to bed.

When they finally got back to the apartment, Sasuke snapped. Naruto didn't even have the door unlocked before Sasuke was on him, kissing him harshly and rubbing him through his jeans.

"Mmm, you wanna do it _here?_" Naruto husked, loosening Sasuke's tie. "That's not like you, teme. People could see."

Oh, that's right... Maybe it would be better if they were inside. Then Naruto shoved him against the front door and ground their hips together, and Sasuke forgot why he was so apprehensive. Arousal had a tendency to turn Sasuke's brain to goo, forcing him to make decisions he wound up regretting later. This would most likely be one of them; he just didn't realize it yet.

"Yes," he said. "Right here. I don't care who sees."

"We don't have lube so this may hurt," Naruto warned him, undoing Sasuke's belt.

"Briefcase," Sasuke panted. "There's lube in my briefcase." He saw the suspicious look Naruto was giving him. "Gaara used to come to the office," he explained. "I figured that wasn't going to happen anymore, so I decided to bring the lube home. Now fuck me."

So Naruto retrieved the lube. He stood back and watched Sasuke for a moment.

"What the fuck are you waiting for, dobe?" Sasuke snarled, grabbing Naruto by the front of the shirt and pulling him to himself.

Naruto didn't answer. Instead, he pushed Sasuke's pants and boxers down, and Sasuke kicked his shoes and stepped out of the offending clothing. Naruto lifted Sasuke up by the thighs, pinning him between himself and the front door, and clicked open the bottle of lube. Sasuke watched in a lusty haze as Naruto coated his fingers and reached behind Sasuke, sinking his fingers deep inside him. Sasuke threw his head back and moaned.

"We have neighbors," Naruto reminded him. "Think you can keep it down?"

Naruto scissored his fingers then, and Sasuke screwed his eyes shut, fairly sure he could not keep it down. He didn't notice Naruto pushing his own pants down and slicking himself with the lubricant. So when Naruto suddenly entered him, he cried out, and "fairly sure" became "absolutely sure". Keeping it down was not an option anymore, and the harder Naruto thrust, the louder Sasuke's voice became.

They hadn't been going for very long-ten minutes at the most-when a door opened a few metres away, and their next door neighbor poked his head out.

"Ugh," he complained. "Do that shit _inside_ your apartment. It's bad enough I have to hear it all night. I don't want to have to see it, too."

"Then don't watch," Naruto panted, never taking his eyes off Sasuke's. "No one asked you to come investigate."

Naruto hadn't slowed his thrusts, and Sasuke was barely registering what was happening. His moans were bordering on screams now, and he couldn't care less that they'd been caught. Their neighbor made a disgusted face at them.

"You faggots have no fucking dignity," he spat, then before he slammed the door, he shouted, "I'm calling the cops!"

"Looks like we're gonna have to hurry this along," Naruto said, grinning his trademark grin. "Now come for me."

He stroked Sasuke twice, and Sasuke found himself coming on command yet again.

"Oh, dear God," he gasped.

Naruto's climax came soon after, and they quickly retreated inside, away from any other neighbors who were curious about the noises. Naruto erupted into fits of laughter, while Sasuke's brain was gradually coming back to its pre-aroused state, and the gravity of what happened started to hit him full-force. He was still bare from the waist down, and Naruto's black tee-shirt was stained with white splotches.

"Oh, God," Sasuke groaned. "I cannot believe that just happened."

"Ah, fuck him," Naruto said. "He's just an old homophobe. If it had been a woman I was fucking against the front door, he probably would have stood there and watched."

"What if he actually calls the cops, dobe?" Sasuke asked, trying to push away the image of Naruto doing what he just did to Sasuke to some woman. The image was disturbing.

"Who cares?" Naruto laughed. "Being a 'faggot', as he so eloquently put it, is not a crime."

"Public indecency, however, is," Sasuke stressed. "And I'm a well-respected member of the business community! I can't have a criminal record!"

"It's not like he has proof," Naruto said, trying his best to calm Sasuke down. "Or witnesses. He was the only person who saw anything."

"That may be true, Naruto," Sasuke said, "but I'm sure almost everyone on this floor heard your little exchange with him."

"Don't blame this on me, teme," Naruto scolded. "It's not my fault you couldn't stay quiet."

Sasuke was about to tell him that, actually, it was very much his fault; that if his cock didn't feel so good shoved inside him, maybe he could have been more quiet. But he figured the blond's ego was already big enough. No need to stroke it any more.

"On a lighter note," Sasuke smirked. "I just love how your cock obeys me."

"Obeys you?" Sasuke snorted. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"That's twice now that I've basically ordered you to come, and you have," Naruto grinned.

Clearly, Naruto's ego was just getting bigger by the second.

"Don't get too used to it, dobe," Sasuke bit out. "It was a fluke. Both times."

"Care to prove it?"

So for the second time that night, Naruto was inside him, and Sasuke couldn't imagine anything feeling better than this. He wasn't one to back down from a challenge, and Naruto knew that. Sasuke's screams were echoing in the small apartment, and they only seemed to be encouraging Naruto more. His lover was not taking it easy on him, despite the fact that they both knew Sasuke would be in some serious discomfort come morning. Sasuke, in turn, wasn't taking it easy on Naruto, either. He was clawing at Naruto's back, surely re-opening the wounds from last night, as well as making new ones. The bite marks on his chest and shoulders had doubled in number in the mere half-hour they'd been at it, and both of them were far from sated. This could easily go on all night again, not that either of them were complaining, of course. Sasuke knew that tomorrow was Naruto's scheduled day off work, and though he hadn't yet informed Naruto of his planned absence from Uchiha Corp. the next day, he was sure the news would only serve as an excuse for them to make love until the sun came up.

Naruto pulled out of Sasuke suddenly, and roughly flipped him over, pulling him up on his knees and sharply re-entering him without warning. Sasuke cried out yet again when Naruto tugged at the back of his hair, harshly lifting his face out of the pillows.

"The pillows muffle your screams," Naruto explained breathlessly. "Can't have that."

"Fuck!" Sasuke shouted, seeing stars as Naruto repeatedly pounded into the anatomical miracle that was his prostate.

This was quickly becoming Sasuke's favorite position. Naruto was a genius at finding the perfect angle to continuously hot Sasuke's sweet spot. Part of him was extremely grateful that Neji had never experienced this position with Naruto. If he had, he wouldn't have admitted defeat as easily as he had, that was for sure. Sasuke also had a feeling Neji had never experienced the raw power Naruto was displaying with him. Neji was far too delicate for this kind of treatment.

Naruto pulled out again and switched their positions once more, and before he knew it, Sasuke was riding him, gingerly bouncing up and down on Naruto's length. Naruto's fingers were digging into his thighs, and he was sure to have more deep purple bruising when all was said and done. Sasuke couldn't find it in him to care. He was perfectly happy to have bruised hips and thoghs for the rest of his life if meant more manic love-making with Naruto.

They were both dripping sweat and panting heavily by this point, and the air conditioning in the apartment was doing nothing to counteract the heat. At all. They would need to get a high-powered fan for their bedroom at some point, but Sasuke pushed the thought aside as soon as it fully formed-he could think about that later; there were much more pressing matters at hand. Like the way Naruto's fingers were curling around the base of his shaft, and the way Naruto's eyes were sparkling at him.

"Hey, Sasuke," he said quietly as he pumped Sasuke's erection.

"Don't, Naruto," he protested weakly.

But Naruto ignored him.

"Come," he ordered, and Sasuke did, harder than he ever had before; so hard, in fact, that he was sure he'd turn inside-out from the sheer intensity of it.

Sasuke's muscles clamping down on Naruto's erection milked him of his release shortly after.

Sasuke remained where he was, straddling Naruto's hips with his lover's now flaccid member still inside him, while he attempted to regain his composure and catch his breath. Well, they had certainly burned off all the calories they'd consumed at Hokage tonight. If things kept up like this, neither of them would have to set foot in a gym again. Sex would keep them in shape.

It was Naruto who finally broke the peaceful silence the pair had fallen into.

"I told you your cock obeys me."

His tone was smug, and Sasuke was torn between kissing him and smothering him with a pillow. In the end, he chose the safer-not to mention healthier-of the two options, and bent down to kiss his dobe.

"Okay," Sasuke conceded. "I suppose three times can't be coincidence. But it only obeys because it likes you so much."

Sasuke finally dismounted, and took his place on the bed beside Naruto. They lay like that for a long while, side by side, just staring at the ceiling. Naruto turned on his side and inched closer to Sasuke, casually draping his arm over Sasuke's abdomen and sighing happily.

"I'm taking a day off tomorrow," Sasuke said matter-of-factly.

"Awesome," Naruto said in return. "I was just wondering what I was going to do all day tomorrow. Now I know: you."

He looked at Sasuke and grinned lecherously.

"We should get started packing tomorrow, actually," Sasuke told him. "Your perverted ideas can wait. There's still a lot to do before Saturday."

"You're right," Naruto yawned. "Let's get some sleep, teme. We both need it."

Sasuke turned on his side, and soon felt the warm length of Naruto's body press against his. Within minutes, he was fast asleep.

-OoOoOoO-

Much to Naruto's chagrin, most of their day off was spent packing. Sasuke seemed impervious to all of Naruto's sexual advances, even going so far as to physically shove Naruto off him when he tried to turn a kiss on the lips into something more.

When all the boxes they'd procured from the liquor store down the street were full, Sasuke had rewarded Naruto with three rounds of mind-numbing sex. Naruto could definitely get used to this. Every moment of his spare time was now devoted to making Sasuke scream in ecstasy. There was nothing better.

The day of the move came much sooner than anticipated, even though both Naruto and Sasuke had been waiting for the day to arrive with bated breath. The moving van arrived right on time, and was followed closely by Deidara and Minato. As expected, Sasuke barked orders while the three blonds and the hired help did the grunt work. One of the movers had innocently asked, "Is he always like this?" only to receive a venomous glare from the Uchiha.

After everything was loaded into the moving van, Naruto and Sasuke stood together in the now empty apartment that had been their home for so long.

"It's almost sad," Naruto said quietly, "leaving this place behind. There are so many memories here."

Sasuke took Naruto's hand in his own.

"We can make more memories," he assured him. "We have an entire lifetime."

They shared one last kiss in the small apartment and left, locking the door behind them. To Naruto, it felt extremely significant, like they were shutting the door on their past as Naruto and Sasuke: best friends that felt something more but were too afraid to act. All that was left now was opening the next door, to their life as Naruto and Sasuke: best friends and, more importantly, soul mates.

-OoOoOoO-

**A/N: All together now: "Awwwwh!" I'm pleased with this chapter, and I hope you are, too. Question, though: Am I the only one who can appreciate the irony of anime boys discussing anime boys? My fiance (who grudgingly allows me to read him my chapters, even though he is VERY straight, and blocks out the lemons for his own sanity) is under the impression that I'm the only person in the world who would get a kick out of anime boys discussing anime boys. Maybe he's right... I dunno. Anyway, review?**


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: All of my previous disclaimers still apply, of course: I don't own, I make no money, I do this for entertainment. Blah, blah, blah.**

**Warnings: Lemon. Seme!Sasuke. Violence. Drug references. Fluff (I'm a damn sucker for it).**

**A/N: *dodges thrown fruit* **_**Gomen, gomen**_**. I know I'm stupidly late with this update. I'm having a little bit of writer's block with this story, you see, and at the same time, the plot bunnies are restless. I have started a SasuNaru one-shot that will be posted for Sasuke's birthday (so you will have to wait for that one. Teehee.), and Everything You Want is giving me just a little bit of trouble, because I'm having to do some filler-type stuff so this chapter is long enough for my liking. So please, if this chapter seems a little stilted, don't hesitate to let me know. I crave your feedback like it's a drug.**

**Mood Music: Naruto/Sasuke's song "Hot" by Avril Lavigne (I know a lot of people hate her and all, but this song is just **_**so**_** Naruto and Sasuke for this story). Neji's song: "My Happy Ending" also by Avril Lavigne (hah... Yeah, I've been on a little bit of an Avril kick, if you couldn't tell... *rubs back of head sheepishly*). Onward!**

-OoOoOoO-

Their new front yard was a flurry of activity as Naruto and Sasuke pulled into the driveway in their respective cars. The movers, Minato, Deidara, and-surprisingly enough-Itachi were all unloading the moving van and scattering the couple's various belongings all over the plush lawn. Naruto and Sasuke made their way to the front door. Sasuke went to put the key in the lock and paused. He turned to Naruto and held the key out to him.

"You should do the honors," he said to a slightly befuddled Naruto, then shrugged. "I've already seen it. You've only seen pictures. So here."

Sasuke thrust the key into Naruto's open palm, who just looked down at the key in his hand and stared at it. This was really happening, wasn't it? Naruto looked back up at Sasuke, who was watching him with an amused look. He glanced past Sasuke, toward the front yard, where both his father and Deidara were also watching him. His dad was flashing him a grin and a thumbs-up, while Deidara was chanting "Do it! Do it!" over and over again. He looked back at Sasuke and took his hand.

"Let's do it together, teme," Naruto offered, and Sasuke's lips turned up in a small little half smile.

Naruto put the key in the lock, and together, they turned the key, unlocking the door to their new home. Sasuke turned the knob and pushed the door open, stepping aside to allow Naruto entry. He grinned and scooped Sasuke up, carrying him bridal-style over the threshold. He had clearly taken his lover by surprise, and his indignant cries of, "Put me the fuck _down, _dobe! I'm a _man,_ goddammit! Not some blushing bride!" went ignored.

A chorus of laughs and cheers were heard from the front yard, and once they were safely inside, Naruto gently put Sasuke down, dodging a well-aimed punch flying toward his face. The Uchiha pride, again, was something of legend, and Naruto obviously just bruised it. He used the momentum of Sasuke's punch against him, catching the raven's wrist in his hand and swinging him around until his back connected with the wall. Naruto pressed his body against Sasuke's, easing the angry Uchiha's legs open with his knee. Naruto kissed him then, coercing his mouth open with his tongue, and he was pleased to feel the beginnings of an erection pressing into his thigh.

"What do you say we, uh, christen our new bedroom?" Naruto asked softly, lightly nibbling Sasuke's sensitive ear lobe and earning a shiver of appreciation in return.

Just as Sasuke opened his mouth to respond, presumably to agree that christening the bedroom was, actually, a glorious idea, the bane of Naruto's very existence stepped into the still-open doorway. Itachi looked from Naruto to Sasuke and back again, and raised a cool eyebrow.

"What?" Sasuke snapped at last, breaking the tense silence. "What do you want, _aniki_? Can't you see I'm a little busy here?"

"I can indeed, _otouto,_" Itachi said gently. "It's just that we need to start getting your things inside now ("_I'm _trying to get something inside, too," Naruto mumbled under his breath.). It looks like rain."

"Then do it," Sasuke said slowly, as if he were talking to a small child. "Just don't come upstairs."

With that said, Sasuke pushed himself off the wall and dragged Naruto by the wrist toward the staircase leading to the second floor. Naruto couldn't believe his luck. He'd been sure Itachi's arrival in the doorway had crushed his chances of getting laid, but that didn't seem to be the case. Naruto had no idea where this new devil-may-care attitude regarding public displays of affection-and sex-came from, but Naruto wasn't about to question it at a time like this. He loved this spontaneous side of Sasuke. However, all thoughts of sponteneity came to a screeching halt when Naruto pushed open the bedroom door Sasuke indicated.

"You son of a bitch," Naruto chuckled, realization hitting him like a freight train as he surveyed the room. "You had this planned."

"Maybe a little," Sasuke admitted, closing and locking the bedroom door. He bent down and picked up one of the many rose petals strewn about the room. "Although I specifically remember telling Itachi and Deidara no rose petals."

They stood back and admired the prepared room together. There was a makeshift bed of pillows and blankets in the center of the room, and candles littered the floor (they weren't real candles, Naruto noticed; just small, flickering lights fashioned to look like candles). To top it off, there were literally thousands of rose petals scattered all over the room. Naruto had a feeling the reason Sasuke had specified no rose petals was because he wasn't looking forward to cleaning them up later. Naruto picked one up, not expected to feel the silky, smooth texture that indicated they were real.

"This is all very romantic," Naruto said at last. "But why?"

Sasuke shrugged inelegantly.

"It's our first time in our new home," he explained. "Our new life begins today. I just wanted everything to be perfect."

"Sasuke," Naruto said quietly, stroking his lover's cheek with the back of his hand, "I don't need candles and rose petals, or even a makeshift bed for this to be perfect. Making love to you is always perfect."

Sasuke kissed him, slow and passionate, groaning quietly as their tongues met. It hadn't taken Naruto and Sasuke long to find their rhythm in the bedroom. They melded together wonderfully, almost becoming one person in the throes of passion. What Naruto had said was true; making love to Sasuke was perfect, in every way, shape, and form. Right now was going to be no different. Naruto gently laid Sauske down on the pillows and blankets, moving the new, unopened bottle of lube off the pillow underneath Sasuke's head.

"Ow," Sasuke grumbled, reaching under his back and producing a pair of black cat ears. "Oh, ha ha, Itachi. Very funny."

He tossed the ears aside and turned his attention back to removing Naruto's clothes. Naruto, on the other hand, couldn't be dissuaded so easily.

"Now, now, teme," Naruto said after allowing Sasuke to take his shirt off. "Let's reconsider the ears. They could be fun."

Sasuke shot him a nasty glare before removing his own shirt. Naruto picked the cat ears up off the floor and slid them onto Sasuke's head, grinning at the immediate effect the simple toy had on his body. Sasuke glared once more and moved to take the cat ears off his head, but Naruto stopped him.

"C'mon, Sasuke. Keep them on. Just this once?"

"Why?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"I... I kinda like 'em," he confessed quietly. "They're, uh, pretty sexy, actually."

Sasuke sighed, and finally conceded, straightening the ears on top of his head.

"Fine," he said. "You're a sick bastard, dobe. You better not tell a soul about this."

"Just between us," Naruto assured him with a grin.

This was going to be fun.

-OoOoOoO-

An hour and a half later, all of Sasuke's previous embarrassment about the ears was gone. He'd completely forgotten they were even there, honestly. When Naruto finally finished (he really did have the stamina of a god), they put their pants back on, neither of them bothering with a shirt, and made their way back downstairs to where everyone was surely waiting for them. Just as Sasuke stepped down on the final step, Naruto spoke.

"Oh, shit!" he said, quietly panicked. "Sasuke, maybe you should-"

His thoughts were interrupted by Deidara's uproarious peals of laughter, Minato's shocked look of disbelief, and Itachi's condescending smirk; all of which reminded Sasuke...

"I'm still wearing the ears, aren't I?"

Deidara was now doubled over in hysterical laughter, while Naruto was chuckling quietly behind Sasuke. Naruto reached up and took the cat ears off Sasuke's head, thankfully putting an end to his embarrassment. He tossed them to the top of the staircase, clearly determined to keep them, and probably hoping they'd live to be worn another day. Sasuke wanted them to disappear forever.

Deidara was still fucking laughing, and Sasuke wanted to hit him. He settled instead for being snarky and snide, not wanting to permanently maim his brother's lover.

"Yes, Deidara," he muttered. "Ha ha fucking ha. This is all very amusing. Uchiha Sasuke put on cat ears to please his lover. I'm sure you've done things just as embarrassing for Itachi. As a matter of fact, I know you have. Need I remind you of the leather skirt and thigh-high boots I caught you wearing when Itachi was in college?"

That stopped Deidara's manic laughter.

"Hey, don't knock the skirt and boots till you try it, un," Deidara scolded. "I still have that stuff, and it never fails to put 'Tachi in a better mood. The man may be a freak-"

"Excuse me?" Itachi protested.

"-but he's _my_ freak. I just honestly didn't think you'd go for the ears, un. It was a last-minute practical joke on my part when 'Tachi and I were setting up the room. They sure did look cute, though."

Deidara's giggles started up again, and Sasuke was just about to hit him, when...

"Uh, guys?" Minato began. "I hate to break this up, because it's all extremely amusing, and revealing, but isn't that...?"

Everyone's eyes followed Minato's out the front window. Four jaws simultaneously dropped. The tell-tale red Mustang sat directly outside on the street in front of the house, and the owner was slowly getting out of the car, setting an enormous, half-drank bottle of some sort of alcohol on the hood; vodka, from the looks of it.

"You have _got_ to be fucking kidding me," Naruto mumbled.

"Is he really that desperate?" Deidara asked.

"How did he even...?" Itachi wondered.

"I have an idea," Sasuke snorted. "Naruto hasn't deleted him off his Facebook friends list yet, and he happened to mention the move last night when he was online. When one of his friends from high school asked about it, Naruto told him-"

"I told him we were moving in across from Itachi," Naruto finished for him. "Why does that matter?"

"Because, Naruto," Itachi answered. "Neji has access to Uchiha Corp. employee files. My address is in those files."

"Definitely desperate," Deidara confirmed.

"That's it," Sasuke said. "I'm fed up. I'm taking care of this once and for all."

"Be nice, teme," Naruto warned. "Neji has obviously been drinking."

"Don't care," Sasuke spat. "I'm done being nice. It clearly doesn't work with him."

Sasuke stormed out the front door and approached Neji, who was still standing next to his car, taking a long drink from his bottle.

"This is stalking, you know," Sasuke said, trying to be as nice as possible, for Naruto's sake.

"Just-_hic_-just let me see him," Neji pleaded, slurring his words.

"No."

"But," Neji stammered, "but I haven't seen him since the break-up."

"That's kinda the point," came Naruto's voice from behind Sasuke.

"Naruto..." Neji breathed.

"See, when we broke up," Naruto continued, "it was supposed to be a clean break. You can't be doing this, Neji. It's ridiculous."

"I just want to talk to you real quick," Neji slurred. "Wait, Naruto, are those bite marks?"

"Yup," Sasuke smirked. "He tastes good."

"Sasuke," Naruto snapped. "Go inside. I'll handle this."

"Make sure it sticks this time, dobe," Sasuke sighed, and walked away.

Sasuke watched from the doorway as Naruto berated Neji. He was probably angry about the drinking, if the way Naruto was gesturing to the half-empty bottle in Neji's grasp was any indication. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw Naruto pry the bottle out of Neji's grip and pour the contents on the street.

"You're going to get yourself killed, Neji!" he heard Naruto shout. "If the drinking and driving doesn't do it, Sasuke probably will!"

"I don't care anymore!" came Neji's slurred reply. "Without you, I have nothing to live for! I love you, Naruto! And for awhile, you loved me, too!"

The kiss took everyone by surprise.

Neji just... grabbed Naruto, and before the blond got his bearings, Neji was kissing him. Well, Naruto was right about one thing: Sasuke was going to kill him. For real this time. Jealous boyfriend mode activated immediately, and Sasuke had closed the distance between himself and the warring ex-lovers before he even realized he was moving. He grabbed Neji by the most accessible part of his body, which happened to be his hair, and yanked him back, succeeding in dislodging the bastard's lips from Naruto's. He glared daggers into the Hyuuga's unfocused eyes, and before he could stop himself, spun the man around and slammed his face into the hood of his car, hard.

He was only able to do it twice more before he felt hands-he wasn't sure how many-pulling him off of Neji. Sasuke struggled against the hands, screaming obscenities, threatening castration, and wanting nothing more than to beat this drunken asshole to within an inch of his life.

Grudgingly, Sasuke allowed his brother, Deidara, and Minato to drag him back up the driveway and into the house.

"I hope I broke your nose, you son of a bitch!" Sasuke shouted over his shoulder as Itachi shoved him inside.

"God, Sasuke," Itachi said, exasperated. "Do you have to be so violent all the time?"

"I've been wanting to do that for months," Sasuke replied. He was starting to feel better already. "Why did you guys stop me?"

"We thought you were going to kill him," Minato explained.

"I was."

"Well then it's a good thing we stopped you, un," Deidara remarked. "I really don't think Naruto wants you to spend the rest of your life in prison, with him only being able to talk to you through a wall of glass!"

"What the fuck is your problem, Sasuke?" Naruto demanded as he walked back in the house. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes!" Sasuke shouted back. "That bastard didn't even get _half_ of what he deserved! He had no right to be kissing you, Naruto! Especially not here, in _our_ driveway! I should have fucking killed him like I had originally planned."

"_Killed_ him?" Naruto yelled. "That's a little over-dramatic, don't you think?"

"You're _mine_, dobe," Sasuke growled. "Anyone who tries to take you away from me deserves to get their ass kicked. And Hyuuga Neji deserves so much more than that."

"You have to get over your insecurities, Sasuke," Naruto said, almost pleading. "I chose _you._ Not _him._ I love _you._ Not _him_."

"But you did," Sasuke reminded him. "You did love him."

"Sasuke, stop! Just fucking _stop_, already! Neji and I are over," Naruto assured him. "No more violence, teme. Promise me."

"Is he gone?"

"He's gone," Naruto said. "Probably to the hospital. I think you did break his nose."

"Good."

"Now promise me."

Sasuke sighed.

"No more violence," he promised.

"Thank you," Naruto breathed, kissing Sasuke's forehead. "Now let's get all this furniture in its rightful place."

-OoOoOoO-

At long last, with the Neji debacle behind them, their new house was finally starting to look like home. Naruto looked on as Itachi and Sasuke shared an uncharacteristic moment of brotherly affection.

"Congratulations, _otouto,_" Itachi said quietly. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, nii-san," Sasuke replied. "It feels good to know that life is finally on the right track."

"Dei," Itachi called over his shoulder, "run over to the house and get Sasuke and Naruto's housewarming gift, will you?"

"Sure, 'Tachi," Deidara grinned, and headed out the front door.

Minato had taken his leave about ten minutes prior; evidently there had been some kind of emergency at Hokage. Deidara walked back in the house shortly after leaving, carrying a bottle of expensive champaign and four champaign flutes.

"Time to celebrate, un!" Deidara sing-songed.

Itachi popped open the bottle of champaign and poured each of them a glass.

"A toast," Naruto said, raising his glass, "to new beginnings."

"To new beginnings," everyone chimed in unison.

By the time the group finished the bottle of champaign, both Sasuke and Deidara had pleasantly flushed cheeks and hazy eyes. It never failed to amaze Naruto just how much of a lightweight Sasuke had become since graduating college, considering most of their free time during their college years were spent trying to out-drink one another. You'd never guess it from the way Sasuke was now, but the thin, dark-haired man used to be able to drink Naruto under the table. Naruto noticed him trying to subtly inch closer to him on the couch, so he threw his arm around Sasuke's shoulders and plastered him to his side. He turned his head to Sasuke and kissed his cheek. Sasuke leaned over to whisper something in his ear, so Naruto leaned in to him, only to be shocked by what he barely heard Sasuke whisper:

"I want to top."

"You want to _what?"_ Naruto shrieked, looking at Sasuke incredulously. He'd honestly never thought Sasuke would want this; he was such a flaming bottom it was almost unbelievable.

Sasuke poked him hard in the ribs.

"You heard me, dobe," Sasuke smirked, then he repeated, louder, so they all heard, "I want to top. Tonight. I've never done it before, and I want my first time to be with you."

Naruto gulped, awaiting their guests' reactions to this declaration.

"It's not a bad idea, actually," Itachi said at last, swirling the last of his champaign in his glass. "A lot of gay couples switch positions all the time, and it's definitely-if nothing else-a learning experience. Knowing what your partner feels on a regular basis gives you quite a bit of insight on how to satisfy them more efficiently."

"Have you guys ever switched?" Naruto asked, suddenly curious.

"Once," Deidara answered. "It's not likely to happen again."

"Let me guess," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes. "Itachi didn't like being bottom."

"Quite the contrary, actually," Itachi smirked. "I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and wouldn't mind at all if it happened more often. Dei, on the other hand, wasn't particularly fond of being top."

"Why not?" Sasuke asked, directing his question to Deidara.

"I just wasn't completely comfortable," Deidara explained, shrugging. "I didn't like being dominant like that. I prefer giving the reins to 'Tachi and letting him be in control."

"See, that's where you and I differ, Deidara," Sasuke said thoughtfully. "I'm not exactly the submissive type, and I have control issues-"

"Yeah, you do," Naruto cut in.

"-so I think I would enjoy switching every once in a while," Sasuke continued. "I mean, yes, I can dominate as uke, but it would be so much easier to dominate as seme. So what do you say, Naruto? Can I make _you _scream for once?"

Naruto snorted into his glass.

"You can try," he chuckled, giving Sasuke a seductive look.

"_Okay,_" Deidara said slowly. "'Tachi, it's time to leave."

"So it would seem," Itachi agreed. "I'll come by tomorrow, _otouto._ I'll be looking forward to hearing your insight on this little matter first thing. Have fun, you two. And, Naruto, a little word of advice: it will be much more pleasant if you just relax and let go."

Itachi and Deidara stood together and made their way to the front door. Naruto heard the door close, and they were finally alone. Naruto and Sasuke sat in the living room a while longer. Sasuke seemed to have something to say, but he looked almost unsure of how to say it.

"Just say it," Naruto commanded. "Don't worry about how it sounds."

-OoOoOoO-

"Just say it. Don't worry about how it sounds."

True, Sasuke wanted to ask Naruto something, but he didn't want to sound presumptuous, and he almost didn't want to hear the answer.

"Have you... ever done this before?"

Naruto scoffed.

"Do you really think I would let anyone who isn't you touch me like that?" he asked. "No, Sasuke, I've never done this before."

"So you and Neji never...?" Sasuke trailed off.

"No," Naruto assured him. "I had a dream about it-once-while we were on vacation, but it never actually happened."

Well that was a relief. Sasuke wasn't sure if he would have been able to handle it if Naruto had already given himself to Neji like that. Naruto had always been apprehensive about being bottom. Sasuke vividly remembered their first conversation about it. Naruto had been with Fumioki for about a year, and he had broached the subject. Naruto had told him he'd think about it, then came to Sasuke, panicked.

-OoOoOoO-

_*Flashback_

"_Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, darting over to Sasuke's table outside the main campus. "Whatcha doin'?"_

"_Studying," Sasuke answered simply. "What do you want, dobe?"_

"_Well, uhm, I have a slight problem," Naruto told him. "Fumioki wants to top."_

_Sasuke raised a cool eyebrow at his best friend._

"_So?" he said. "Why is that a problem?"_

"_I'm scared," Naruto confessed. "I don't know if I want to do it."_

"_Do you trust him?"_

_Naruto rolled his eyes._

"_Why does that matter?" he asked. "If your sexual history is anything to go by, trust isn't necessarily a pre-requisite for letting someone stick their dick in your ass."_

"_Maybe not for me," Sasuke smirked, "but for you, trust does matter. Just like, if I were to ever top, it would have to be with someone I trusted. So, I ask again: Do you trust Fumioki?"_

_Naruto thought_ _about it for awhile._

"_I trust him," he said at length, "but I'm not sure if I trust him _enough._"_

"_Why are you so scared?" Sasuke wanted to know. "Yeah, it hurts the first couple of times, but the pain goes away pretty fast. And I'm pretty sure that breaking your arm when you jump off the roof of your house hurts worse anyway."_

"_Shut up, teme," Naruto laughed. "I was 16 when I did that. And if I remember correctly, the only reason I jumped in the first place was because I somehow let my bastard best friend convince me I could fly."_

"_Well, you shouldn't have let Kiba give you four hits of LSD," Sasuke quipped. "Anyway, dobe, go for it. You'll enjoy it. I promise."_

"_I just don't know if I'm ready for that yet, Sasuke," Naruto sighed. "I mean, I just lost my virginity a year ago, and I'm only now starting to get my groove when it comes to sex, ya know? I don't know if I can handle adding another element already."_

"_So what you're really concerned about," Sasuke guessed, smirking, "is that you'll like it too much."_

"_No!" Naruto shouted, his face going beet red. "I'm... I'm concerned that I won't like it at all. And that Fumioki will really enjoy being top, and that he'll want to do it more often, and if I tell him no I won't get sex at all, and then he'll break up with me, and I really like him, and if he-"_

"_Naruto," Sasuke interrupted. "You're rambling. Shut up. If you're not ready, tell him. He'll understand."_

_Naruto just nodded._

-OoOoOoO-

Fumioki had understood. As far as Sasuke knew, he hadn't brought it up again.

"Do you trust me, dobe?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed in confusion, and he cocked his head to the side before answering.

"Of course."

"Do you trust me _enough_?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto appeared to be deep in thought, then a smile of understanding flashed across his face.

"You're the only person I trust enough, teme," Naruto smiled. "Ever since our first conversation about this, back in college, I knew that if I were to ever bottom, it would have to be with you. You said you've never done this before. Was that true?"

"Yes," Sasuke admitted.

"Good," Naruto said as he placed his empty champaign flute on the coffee table. "Then this will be a first for both of us."

Sasuke followed suit and set his glass down, and before he knew it, they were kissing. It was the kind of kiss Sasuke now lived for; the kind he felt all the way to his toes. It was getting difficult to concentrate now, and Sasuke wasn't sure of it was the alcohol or the anticipation that caused it. This was really about to happen, Sasuke realized, and his heart skipped a beat.

The kiss soon became heated, and Sasuke pushed Naruto back on the couch, leaving a fiery trail of kisses down his neck. He bit down lightly on Naruto's collarbone, earning him a small sigh from the blond.

"Louder," Sasuke ordered. "I want to hear you."

He latched on to Naruto's collarbone again, slightly harder this time, and heard a soft moan escape Naruto's lips. Obviously, the dobe was trying to be quiet, just to tease him, so Sasuke rolled his hips against Naruto's in just the right way, and that did the trick.

"Sa-Sasuke," Naruto whimpered.

"Come on," Sasuke breathed. "We're like a couple of teenagers dry-humping on the couch. Bedroom."

Naruto slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Sasuke. Naruto's eyes were heavily lidded, and the deepest, most beautiful shade of blue Sasuke had ever seen. He reached his hand out and Naruto took it. He pulled Naruto to his feet and into another deep kiss. They moved across the living room and down the hall as one, stopping at the foot of the stairs to break for air. Sasuke smirked at his lover and pulled him up the stairs. They paused again at the bedroom door, and Naruto pinned Sasuke against it, grinding their hips together as they resumed kissing.

"Mmm, Sasuke," Naruto breathed, breaking their kiss once again. "I want this so bad. I want _you_ so bad."

"Oh, God," Sasuke breathed in return, biting Naruto's collarbone again. "You'll have me, dobe. You'll have all of me."

Naruto opened the bedroom door and they stumbled inside. Sasuke pushed Naruto across the room and shoved him onto the bed. He hurried out of his jeans, and Sasuke caught sight of Naruto's erection, suddenly mildly disappointed that it wouldn't be inside him tonight. _It's fine,_ he consoled himself. _This will be different, but different doesn't necessarily mean bad. _Sasuke shimmied out of his own jeans and slowly approached the bed, watching the way Naruto's eyes took in every inch of him. And soon, it wouldn't be only his _eyes_ that were taking in every inch of him. The thought made him shudder and bite his bottom lip in anticipation.

Sasuke climbed up on the bed, placing one hand on either side of Naruto's shoulders, and just hovered over him for a moment. Naruto seemed to be getting impatient, though, spreading his legs further apart and repeatedly glancing down at Sasuke's hardened length. Naruto turned and opened the bedside drawer, producing a bottle of lubricant and handing it to Sasuke. Sasuke sat back and took a few minutes to really admire the way Naruto was spread out for him, ready for the taking.

"Oh, I am going to love this," Sasuke observed out loud, and Naruto chuckled nervously.

"I hope I do, too," the blond gulped.

"You will," Sasuke assured him as he popped open the cap of the lube and coated his fingers. He looked at Naruto as he positioned one finger at the tight ring of muscles of his anus. Naruto closed his eyes and nodded, and Sasuke slowly tried to push his finger inside, meeting with more resistance than necessary. "Relax," he instructed gently.

Naruto let out a big breath, and Sasuke felt his muscles relax. He was able to push the first finger inside, and he was pleasantly surprised at just how tight Naruto was. Yeah, he was _definitely_ going to love this. He worked his finger around, stretching Naruto enough to add the second finger, which slowly joined the first. Naruto whined quietly and squeezed his eyes shut.

"I know it's uncomfortable," Sasuke said in a hushed voice, "but when I find it, the discomfort will go away."

He scissored his fingers, and Naruto let out a very quiet moan. Sasuke searched for that spot in Naruto that he was very well acquainted with in his own body. Sasuke curled his fingers, and Naruto cried out, his previously deflated erection springing back to life.

"Found it," Sasuke said smugly. He massaged that same spot again, and watched as Naruto's eyes rolled into the back of his head. Naruto was definitely starting to relax more now, and he seemed to be enjoying himself. "Just don't go all blushing uke on me, dobe."

Naruto laughed breathlessly.

"Not-hhngg-not likely," Naruto managed. "Oh, God, Sasuke, _there!_"

Naruto's back arched off the bed as Sasuke added the third finger. His breaths were coming in short pants now, and Sasuke could see a few beads of sweat forming on his forehead. After a few more minutes of lazy fingering, Sasuke decided Naruto was probably well enough prepared.

"Are you ready, Naruto?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Naruto returned, and Sasuke removed his fingers, replacing them with his dripping erection.

Sasuke pushed forward as slowly as possible, hearing Naruto gasp when he breached him. "Relax," he repeated quietly. He pushed forward, sinking inside inch by inch, feeling every twitch of Naruto's body. And, _God,_ it was so unbelievably _tight._ And it was so unbelievably _hot. _And it was _so much better_ than Sasuke ever imagined it would be. He was only about half-way in, and he was already breathing heavier, and he couldn't take his eyes off of Naruto's face, watching it contort with that mix of pain and undeniable pleasure that Sasuke knew all too well.

"Sasu...ke..." Naruto's attempt at speech was almost funny.

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke panted, trying to regain his composure, feeling slightly lightheaded from all the sensations he was feeling. "I'm-I'm trying to think. And will you _stop clenching _like that?"

"Just... please..." Naruto abandoned his attempts at speaking and took action instead, wrapping his legs around Sasuke's waist and forcing him the rest of the way inside. Their simultaneous cries pierced the silence of the room, and they just looked at each other for the longest time, neither of them wanting to move at all. "Go," Naruto urged. "Move. Move."

So Sasuke nodded and pulled back, rocking his hips forward and feeling so many different things all at once. Naruto was still unconsciously clenching down around him, and the friction was amazing, and it was still so tight, and so warm. Sasuke was trying _so hard_ to not just let loose and pound Naruto into the mattress as hard as he could. He pulled almost all the way out again and snapped his hips forward, perhaps a little too sharply.

"Oh, _fuck,_" Naruto moaned. "Fucking _God, _teme. Keep doing that. You're hitting it."

"Does it hurt?" Sasuke asked, repeating his previous movements and directly hitting Naruto's prostate again. Naruto moaned Sasuke's name before answering.

"Not anymore," he said breathlessly. "Enough talk. Harder."

Sasuke complied, giving in to his earlier temptation and letting loose. He thrust hard and fast into Naruto, his hands coming up to grip the headboard for leverage. Naruto was starting to sound like him now, moaning gibberish and trying to tell Sasuke what it was he wanted. Sasuke would have stopped for a second to try and decipher Naruto's gibberish, but he was too far gone with lust to even try.

"What?" he panted. "What do you want me to do?"

A string of unintelligible moans were punctuated with a whispered request of, "Ki-kiss me, tem-teme." Sasuke smiled as much as he could, and leant down to plant a chaste kiss on his blond's lips. The change in angle must have been nice for Naruto; he groaned loudly against the kiss and his back arched impossibly far off the bed. Oh, God, that new angle was perfectly all right with Sasuke, too. He felt the heat starting to coil in his gut, and he knew that if he didn't slow down, this would all be over way too fast. His thrusts slowed just the tiniest bit, and Sasuke ignored the whine of complaint from his lover.

"I want this to last," he explained, completely out of breath. "It won't if I keep going at that speed."

"Please," Naruto begged. "We can... we can do it again. I'm almost there too."

So Sasuke sped up his thrusts again. He went back to bracing his hands on the headboard, and he watched as Naruto's fingers curled around his weeping arousal and started to tug. Well that was certainly a welcome sight. Sasuke aimed his thrusts just right, and if the screams-that's right, _screams_-coming from Naruto's mouth were any indication, he was thrusting into his dobe's prostate with deadly accuracy.

It happened so fast... Naruto screamed Sasuke's name at the top of his lungs, coating both of them with hot, sticky release, and in the very same instant, Sasuke threw his head back with a similar cry of Naruto's name, filling him with his own essence. And then he collapsed. He was fucking _exhausted_, and he couldn't breathe quite right, and his heart felt like it would explode right out of his chest. And despite all that, he still found enough strength to lift himself up just enough to kiss Naruto with everything in him.

"I love you," he whispered between kisses. "I love you so goddamn much. You're so... Mmm... You're so fucking perfect. I don't know what I'd do without you," he confessed, kissing his way to Naruto's jaw, and down his neck, and nibbling his pulse. "Never leave me. Be mine, forever. Grow old with me, dobe. Will you? Do you love me that much?"

Sasuke wasn't sure what had come over him. This wasn't like him. He didn't talk this much. He didn't say these kinds of things. He knew it was way out of character for him, but he just didn't have it in him to care about being his usual, prickish self anymore. Naruto brought things out in him that would otherwise stay hidden forever. And Sasuke was okay with that. Naruto would be the one and only person in the world to ever see this side of him. Love, after all, makes a person crazy.

"I love you, too, Sasuke," Naruto chuckled. "So much. Of course I'll grow old with you. But... you gotta get off me first. I can't breathe."

Sasuke reluctantly rolled off of Naruto and on to the bed. Naruto immediately turned to him and buried his face in his chest.

"That was amazing, teme," came Naruto's muffled voice. "What did you think?"

"I think we'll have to start flipping a coin from now on," Sasuke admitted. "It was incredible. I love it both ways. And I'm starting to realize that, with us, it doesn't matter what role we're playing during sex. We're perfect either way." He smirked as a thought occurred to him. "I knew I'd be able to make you scream."

"I didn't scream," Naruto grinned. They both knew he was lying through his teeth. "But you're right. Either way is perfect for us. Let's sleep for a little while," he suggested. "Then when we wake up, we can do it again."

"We should have a baby," Sasuke blurted out, taking himself by surprise.

"Uhm..." Naruto began. "Did you forget that we're both guys? That's not physically possible."

"Then let's adopt," Sasuke shrugged.

"Where did all this come from?" Naruto wondered, removing his face from Sasuke's chest and rolling to his back to stare up at the ceiling.

"I'm not really sure," Sasuke said thoughtfully, giving that same ceiling a lopsided frown. "It just popped into my head." He turned to look at Naruto. "Do you not want to?"

"No, I do!" Naruto said hastily. "It's a great idea. It's just not something I would expect you to want is all. I mean, this way, your mom gets the grandkids she's always wanted, and we'll be... I dunno... like, a legitimate family or something. I'm willing if you are."

"Good," Sasuke smiled. "I'll do some research on adoption agencies on Monday, and make some phone calls."

Naruto turned to him to flash him a blinding smile, and went back to snuggling Sasuke's chest.

"I'm going to sleep," he yawned. "Wake me up in a few hours. I'm definitely going to want you again, teme."

Sasuke turned and wrapped his arms tightly around Naruto's shoulders, and in no time, his dobe was fast asleep. As exhausted as Sasuke had been earlier, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep now if his life depended on it. So he and Naruto were going to adopt a baby... Sasuke was going to be a _father._ The idea scared the hell out of him. He didn't know the first thing about raising kids. They were going to need a _lot_ of help with this. Mikoto and Kushina were going to have to walk them through the whole parenting thing every step of the way. He tried to imagine what it would be like, starting a family with Naruto... He could see them at the neighborhood park, running around with this-for some reason-faceless and genderless child, and all three of them were laughing and having a hell of a time. He felt the tiniest traces of a smile turning his lips up at the side. A family... Sasuke, Naruto, and a son or daughter. This thought made Sasuke begin to consider what he would rather have: a son or a daughter? If he had to be honest with himself, although he had always generally found girls annoying, he wanted to raise a daughter. He could raise her to be graceful, and polite, and not... annoying, like all the girls he went to high school with. _Having a son would be nice, too,_ Sasuke thought. It would certainly be easier, that's for sure. Sasuke knew about boys. He was a little boy at one point, after all. Well, whether they had a boy or girl, this was going to be... _quite _the experience.

A few hours later, as Naruto had requested, Sasuke gently woke him, licking and sucking at a pink nipple. Naruto awoke quickly, moaning quietly at the gentle ministrations on his now hardened bud. This was interesting. Sasuke daringly moved to the other nipple, giving it the same treatment and adding slight nibbles. Naruto was fully awake now, writhing under Sasuke's touch and growing more desperate as Sasuke continued caressing him.

"Oh, God. Again," Naruto pleaded. "Take me again."

Sasuke was more than happy to comply, slipping easily inside that tight passage that was now his and his alone. Their lovemaking was more gentle this time, slow and sensual, and completely intoxicating. Sasuke would never get tired of this, making love to Naruto, and whether he was top or bottom, their intimate times would forever be as wonderful and glorious as the first time. They were made for each other, destined lovers, and they both knew it now. Their past indiscretions no longer mattered; they found their happy ending.

-OoOoOoO-

**A/N: Sooooo, I just noticed how long this chapter was getting... I still have, let's see... Like, four more decently lengthy scenes before I can write the epilogue. So, it would appear you're in for ANOTHER chapter before the epilogue. I know, I know. I said I'd have this story done with two more chapters, including this one. Apparently, I'm not very good at determining the length of my stories. I said in my Author's Note up top that I have started a SasuNaru birthday fic. Well, I have **_**also**_** started writing a sequel to this story. I'm not going to give anything away, because there is still something in this story that has yet to be revealed regarding Neji. What I will say, however, is that the sequel focuses on a different pairing. I'm pretty excited about it, and the prologue is coming along beautifully (It's not as difficult to get in to Neji's head as I thought it would be). So be on the lookout for that. And, once again, I'm so so sorry this chapter took me so damn long to post. I was agonizing over the SasuNaru lemon for forever. I'm still not completely pleased with it... What did **_**you **_**think?**


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: If Naruto belonged to me... Kabuto would have died a loooong-ass time ago, Itachi wouldn't be a fucking zombie, and Naruto and Sasuke would have already fucked. However, none of this has happened, so as you can see, Naruto still belongs to Kishimoto-sensei. I also do not own **_**Wicked, **_**Gackt,**__**or Vampire Knight (if you can spot the reference, you get brownie points).**

**Warnings: Mild Sakura-bashing. Fluff.**

**A/N: Fuck, I'm sorry... This update is too late for words. *embarrassed* There are a multitude of things contributing to the lateness of this chapter. First, it seems as though it is plot-bunny mating season. I seem to get a new plot idea every couple of days, so I have this story, plus four more in the works. I also have... let's see... I wanna say three plots currently in the brainstorming process. I will-if I haven't already, by the time this is posted-be putting a poll on my profile (if I can figure out how...) to determine which story will be the next to be written and posted. Not sure if I wanna start another multi-chapter fic just yet... And also, I have discovered the beauty of... Netflix. I've been watching Lie To Me for the past few days. And we just finished Soul Eater (fabulous anime!). AND, my roommate bought the second season of Vampire Knight, so we finished that (go fucking WATCH that shit. Zero is so fucking yummy.). So, hopefully you're not too pissed. Here's the chappie!**

**Mood Music: Neji's song - "Over You" by Daughtry (Hooray! He's finally moving on! Oh, and I know, I give Neji a song for quite a few chapters. He's ridiculously easy to pick out a song for.)**

-OoOoOoO-

It was rare, Sasuke knew, for Naruto to have the entire weekend off work. For some reason, this weekend-the weekend of the move-was one such weekend. They slept in much later than anticipated, and when they did finally roll out of bed, it was well past noon. They hadn't bothered with a shower the previous night, opting instead to go a few more rounds before finally collapsing, exhausted, in the tangled sheets. Sasuke topped every time, and had positively loved it. Naruto hadn't complained either; rather, he screamed and shouted and moaned in bliss all night long. He would definitely be paying for it this morning. That was for sure.

"Owwww," Naruto whined as he got out of bed. Then he squeezed his eyes shut. "Ew! Ew, ew, ew, ew, _ew!_"

"What the hell is wrong with you, dobe?" Sasuke sighed.

"It's..." Naruto gulped. "It's fucking running down my leg! Fucking _gross_. I need a shower. _**Now!**_"

Sasuke watched in amusement as a very naked blond hobbled as best he could to the en suite bathroom and turned the shower on. He carefully stepped inside, and Sasuke stepped in right behind him. Naruto had his face tilted up toward the spray of hot water, but he didn't seem very steady on his feet. His knees were trembling slightly, and he kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked gently, wrapping his arms around Naruto's waist and lightly tracing his fingers over the blond's chisled abdominals.

"I'm fine," Naruto replied as he leaned into the gentle touch. "I'm just sore. In retrospect, maybe we should have called it quits after one time. It was my first time, after all." 

Sasuke kissed a blazing trail up Naruto's neck, and brought his hands up Naruto's torso, stopping to lightly pinch a nipple. Sasuke didn't forget how his dobe had reacted to that same touch last night, and his reaction today was no different.

Sasuke nibbled Naruto's earlobe, and whispered huskily in his ear, "Come on, dobe. Just one more time?" He slid his hand down Naruto's body and wrapped his fingers around his rapidly-growing arousal.

"Teme," Naruto purred, "if we're going to have sex again, I'm taking you. I really don't think I can handle it again."

Sasuke spun Naruto around to face him, then turned himself around and bent at the waist, bracing his hands on the tiled wall. He glanced back at Naruto and smirked at him.

"Fine by me," he said quietly, licking his lips. "Fuck me, Naruto."

"Gladly," Naruto grinned.

By the time they finished, the water in the shower was ice-cold.

"In retrospect," Naruto repeated, "that probably could have waited."

"Agreed," Sasuke said, his teeth chattering from the cold.

After bathing in the freezing water, they stepped out of the shower together and toweled off. Sasuke was just pulling his pants off when the doorbell rang.

"Goddammit, Itachi," he growled. "He needs to start calling before just stopping by."

"You should have known this would happen," Naruto laughed as Sasuke left the bedroom.

Sasuke opened the front door, expecting to see Itachi, but what he saw instead made Sasuke wish he had put on a shirt. Standing on his doorstep was a woman with pink hair and wide, sea-foam green eyes. Beside her was a man with a pretty, almost feminine face and a ridiculous belly-baring shirt. The woman was holding some sort of covered dish. Sasuke raised a questioning eyebrow at the newcomers.

"Oh, _wow,_" the woman began, her eyes unashamedly raking over Sasuke's bare torso. He suddenly felt the need to hide himself from this new eye-rapist. "I mean-hi. My name's Sakura," she continued, "and this is my husband, Sai. We live next door, and we just wanted to stop by and welcome you to the neighborhood. I made some of my famous curry for you. Here!"

He hesitantly took the covered dish as his mind tried to process this new information. _Husband?_ There was no way in hell this guy was straight. And they lived next door... Fabulous. Sasuke wondered just how often this woman would undress him with her eyes. And she made her "famous curry"? This poor woman didn't look like she could fry an egg, let alone make curry that was "famous". Rather than saying so, however, he forced a smile.

"Thank you."

Sasuke was relieved when he felt Naruto's strong arms wrap around his waist, and he looked back at him to see a look of shock on his lover's face.

"Sai?" he asked. "What the hell, man? Are you stalking me?"

"You guys know each other?" Sasuke and Sakura asked in unison. Sasuke winced. That was fucking weird.

"Yes," Sai answered monotonously. "Naruto and I had many of the same art classes in college. Isn't that right... Dickless?"

"For the love of _God,_ Sai," Naruto gritted out. "How many fucking times have I told you not to call me that? I am _not_ fucking dickless. I think that my _boyfriend-_" he spat the word at Sakura, who was still looking at Sasuke with hungry eyes, "-can attest to that. Who is this girl, Sai? Your beard?" (1)

"She's my wife," he said simply. "Naruto, meet Sakura."

"Nice to meet you," he mumbled to her, then the weight of what Sai said seemed to hit him, and his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "Wait, 'wife'? You know your husband's gay, right, honey?"

"Bisexual," Sai corrected him, and Naruto laughed.

"That's not what you said in college."

Sai just shrugged.

"I hadn't met Sakura yet," he said. "The heart wants what the heart wants."

He put his arm comfortably around her waist and pulled her close. Sakura bit her bottom lip and giggled, kissing his cheek and making him smile just the tiniest bit.

"This is weird," Naruto remarked, narrowing his eyes. "Teme, we need to, uh, get ready for when Itachi stops by."

Naruto was giving Sasuke a pointed look that clearly said, "Get rid of them. Now."

"Right," Sasuke replied. "Well, Sakura, Sai. Thank you for the curry. We'll... we'll see you later."

"Okay!" Sakura exclaimed, clearly unperturbed by his and Naruto's rudeness. Maybe she was stupid, Sasuke reasoned. "You're welcome. But... I didn't catch your name."

"Sasuke," he told her. "My name is Sasuke."

"Well," Sakura blushed, "see you later, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke cringed as he closed the door. It felt like high school all over again, when he had all those fangirls following him around everywhere he went and calling him "Sasuke-kun" like they knew anything about him at all. Silly little girls. That's why Sasuke had always preferred the company of men. Women were a hassle.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" Naruto teasingly called from the kitchen.

"Shut the hell up, dobe," Sasuke snapped. "You know I've always hated being called that."

"Well it would appear you have a new fangirl," Naruto said as he got out a frying pan and ingredients for omelets. "You want one?" he asked.

"Sure," Sasuke responded, putting the curry in the fridge and sitting on one of the barstools at the island counter in their new-much more spacious-kitchen. He smirked. "Just don't burn them this time. So tell me about your history with Sai."

Naruto sighed.

"He... had a thing for me," Naruto said, slowly, seemingly trying to choose his words carefully. "All through college. And then, in our third year, we had an art project together. I was with Fumioki at the time-obviously. Sai suggested that we talk about our project at that bar down the road from campus. Remember that one?" Sasuke acknowledged that he did. "Well, I agreed. Sai got me drunk, took me back to his dorm room, and tried to take advantage of me. It didn't work. I screamed at him and left. Then I convinced our professor to give me a new partner. I haven't spoken to the bastard since. How did he even find us?"

"Apparently," Sasuke sighed, "he and that... wife of his live next door."

"Shit."

"'Shit' indeed," Sasuke smirked.

A little later, after they'd eaten and Sasuke had washed the dishes, Itachi did call andasked if they were decent for company. Sasuke told him they were and invited his brother to come over. He hung up the phone and walked into the living room, heading toward the couch to take a seat next to his blond. Naruto pulled him into his lap instead, brushing Sasuke's bangs out of his face and lightly kissing his forehead.

"You need a haircut," Naruto commented.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I'll get right on that."

"So Itachi's coming over?" Sasuke nodded. "What for?"

"Probably to quiz us about last night," Sasuke replied. "You know how he gets with gossip."

"Are we going to tell him everything?" Naruto asked. "Or are we going to leave some stuff out?"

"Like what?" Sasuke wondered.

"Like... y'know... starting a family?"

Sasuke smiled. He'd almost forgotten that they had talked about that.

"We can trust him, Naruto," Sasuke said gently. "We can tell him."

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Sasuke kissed the top of his dobe's head before standing up to answer the door yet again. He swung the front door open, and was standing face to face with his brother.

"I couldn't help but notice you met Sakura today," he drawled as Sasuke stepped aside to allow his visitor entry.

"Have you been spying on me, you gossip-whore?" Sasuke chuckled.

Itachi raised a brow.

"Hardly..." he said at length. "I was walking past my front window and saw that godawful mop of pink. It's difficult to miss."

"She's very..." Sasuke trailed off to search for the appropriate word.

"Annoying?" Itachi supplied for him, showcasing a rare smile.

"Is she like that with you, too?"

"She turns into a blushing, stuttering mess whenever I'm around," his brother answered. "All that pink is obnoxious. You know how much I despise that color. Anyway," he sighed, waving his hand dismissively, "enough about her. You know why I'm here."

"I do," Sasuke agreed. "Would you like a drink?" he asked, leading Itachi to the living room.

"Please," Itachi said. "Tea."

Sasuke walked through the living room and into the kitchen, filling the kettle up with water and setting it on the stove. He clicked on the burner and waited, pulling three mugs and the tea from the cabinet. The kettle whistled, and Sasuke poured the steaming water in the mugs. He put two cubes of sugar in Naruto's and carefully carried the tea to the living room, placing the mugs on the coffee table and taking his seat beside Naruto.

"Well?" Itachi asked at last, looking from Naruto to Sasuke and back again. "Did you do it?"

"Yes," Sasuke responded, trying to suppress a grin. Itachi was way too excited about this.

A beat.

"And?" Itachi prodded, picking up his mug and blowing on the tea.

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a look.

"It was great," Naruto answered. "We both loved it. Enough to do it three times in one night."

"There's something you're not telling me," Itachi accused.

"You're right," Sasuke admitted. "Last night, Naruto and I made a very important decision regarding out future."

This, apparently, was enough to grant them Itachi's undivided attention.

"...Oh?" Itachi said. "And what decision is that?"

Sasuke took Naruto's hand in his, and they smiled sweetly at each other.

"We're going to adopt a child," Sasuke told his brother, and Itachi's jaw dropped in a very uncharacteristic moment of shock. "A baby, specifically. I'll be calling adoption agencies tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Itachi asked. "This is a very big decision. Parenthood is not a game. It's a lifelong commitment."

"We're sure," Naruto assured him. "We understand that it's not a game, and that we will both be giving up a lot in order to start a family. Your mom wants grandchildren, and you're sure as hell not going to give her any. We want a family."

Sasuke was surprised. He and Naruto hadn't actually discussed it quite to that extent the night before, but it seemed that they really did have the same views on this whole situation after all. Maybe parenthood wouldn't be the challenge he had originally assumed; at least not with Naruto by his side.

The remainder of the day was spent relaxing, and when Itachi left, Sasuke and Naruto made love a few times. They decided against the coin flip they had talked about the night before, and instead just allowed their lovemaking to naturally progress. They made love four times that night, and switched every time. After they were both fully sated, Naruto and Sasuke lay in bed and kissed and held each other for a long time.

"So you're going to call adoption agencies tomorrow?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Yes," Sasuke confirmed. "But I don't want to tell anyone else about this yet. We should wait until we know for sure that we'll actually be able to adopt."

"Why wouldn't we?" Naruto wondered.

"Some adoption agencies aren't exactly... gay-friendly," Sasuke explained.

"I see," Naruto sighed.

"Don't dwell on it too much, dobe. Go to sleep."

Sasuke slipped out of bed early the next morning. He didn't want to wake Naruto, and he needed to get to the office as early as possible. They didn't have Internet access at the house yet, and researching adoption agencies was best done online. He showered and dressed silently before kissing his blond softly on the forehead and heading to the office.

Three hours and a massive headache later, Sasuke had fourteen phone numbers written down. He figured he would call a little later; right now he just needed to nurse the pounding in his head. The work day had officially begun, and Itachi had already come by Sasuke's office to check up on him. Sasuke was just swallowing the last of the aspirin he kept in his desk drawer, thinking that he should pick some more up, when he heard his cell phone begin to ring. He pried it out of his pocket and answered his dobe's call.

"Good morning, dobe," he said. "How did you sleep?"

"Teme," Naruto whined in return, "my car died."

Sasuke sighed.

"Did you ever get that oil change I reminded you about?"

"No," Naruto admitted quietly.

"Naruto," Sasuke scolded, flipping through his desk calendar, "That was two months ago. You need to start taking better care of your things. I'll send Itachi. Where are you?"

"Uhm," Naruto said, and Sasuke could hear shuffling, "I don't really know... I see a school, and a playground across the street."

Thankfully, Naruto wasn't lost. Sasuke knew exactly where Naruto was, and it wouldn't take Itachi long to get there and get the blond to work.

"Stay put," Sasuke ordered. "Itachi will be there to pick you up soon."

"Thanks," Naruto sighed.

"This better not happen again."

With that, Sasuke disconnected the call. He walked out of his office and across the building to Itachi's. He caught a glimpse of Neji, and chuckled inwardly at the bruising around his eyes and the tell-tale bandage on his nose. _So I __**did**__ break his nose, _Sasuke thought smugly, and continued his trek toward his brother's office. Sasuke pushed open the door and stepped inside, immediately regretting his decision not to knock.

Itachi was standing behind his desk with his slacks pooled around his ankles, holding a pair of long, slender legs over his shoulder and licking a shiny latex boot. Deidara was laying across the desk, his long, blond hair falling off the edge. The leather micro-mini skirt Deidara was wearing did nothing to hide his obvious excitement, and he was making these _noises _that sounded strangely like a cat in heat. Itachi stopped mid-thrust and simply looked at his brother.

"Can I help you, _otouto_?"

"I'll be standing right outside your office," Sasuke said cautiously. "Let me know when you're... finished."

Sasuke strode back out of Itachi's office and closed the door behind him. He stood at the door for a good twenty minutes, unable to shake the image he walked in on from his mind. He was doing everything in his power not to gag. He'd never caught anybody in the act before, and to think he caught his _brother_... It was just too much to handle.

Deidara poked his head out of the office a few minutes later, his face flushed, and ushered Sasuke inside. He was still wearing that ridiculous ensemble, and Itachi was still fastening his belt.

"What did you need?" Itachi asked.

"Naruto's car broke down," Sasuke explained. "His engine is probably blown. He was supposed to get an oil change two months ago, but neglected to do it. He's sitting outside Cross Academy as we speak, waiting for you to go pick him up."

"I'll go," Deidara offered. "I was going to head home anyway. I'll check his engine and see if it's salvageable, and then I'll drop him off at the shop."

-OoOoOoO-

Naruto was bored. And hot. He'd been sitting outside this massive school for what seemed like hours now, and he was beginning to get a little concerned. Was Sasuke punishing him for not getting the oil in his car changed? The sweltering summer sun was beating down on his car, and he couldn't get the engine to turn over so he could turn on the air conditioning. Naruto pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a text to Sasuke.

_What's taking so long? Is Itachi on his way or not?_

After five minutes of waiting for a reply, Naruto was just about to give up and call the shop to let them know he wouldn't be in today. Then, his text tone went off.

_Walked in on my brother and Deidara fucking in Itachi's office. I'm a little traumatized. But Deidara should be there any time. Just to warn you: he's wearing a skirt._

_Gross, _Naruto typed back. _See you after work?_

_Always._

Deidara's car came into view shortly after that, and he pulled up alongside Naruto. He stepped out of his car and walked to Naruto's, telling him to pop the hood. Naruto had to admit, Deidara definitely looked good in a skirt. He briefly wondered how Sasuke would react if Naruto bought him a skirt. _No,_ he decided. _That cat ears were good enough. Better not push my luck._ Deidara made a tsk-ing noise while he inspected Naruto's engine. That couldn't be good.

"What's the diagnosis, doc?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

"See this?" Deidara asked, holding up a chunk of metal that barely fit in his palm. "That's a piece of your engine, un. This hunk of junk is officially deceased. On the bright side," Deidara grinned, "you are now in the market for a new car. I'll bet if you ask Sasuke nicely, he'll get you one."

"I doubt it," Naruto grumbled, kicking the stones on the side of the road. "He'll probably make me pay for one myself, since it's my fault this one died."

Deidara nodded sympathetically.

"Well," he chirped, "until you get a new car, you and I can carpool to work, un! Get in. You're already," Deidara checked the time on his phone, "half an hour late."

Naruto slid into the passenger seat of Deidara's car and hooked his seat belt, and Deidara hopped in the driver's side.

"Nice skirt," Naruto teased.

"Thanks," Deidara grinned. "'Tachi likes it."

"Yeah, I'll bet."

Deidara fiddled with his iPod for a few minutes, decided on a song, and they took off. After only a few bars of music, Naruto recognized what they were listening to, and smiled.

"Showtunes?" he chuckled. "I didn't know you listened to _Wicked._ Do you even understand English?"

"Yes, showtunes," Deidara said. "_Wicked _is kind of a guilty pleasure of mine. And of course I understand English. I vacationed a lot in the States when I was a kid, un. Why, don't you understand it?"

"Not all of it," Naruto confessed. "Foreign language was never really my thing."

"Wait," Deidara said suspiciously. "How do _you_ know _Wicked_?"

"My mom," Naruto answered. "She really enjoys American musicals. I'm changing the music."

"Fine," Deidara sighed.

Naruto searched Deidara's extensive playlists, and finally settled on Gackt. Naruto just loved the sound of his voice. Deidara was humming along quietly while he drove, and in no time at all, the little blue car pulled up in front of Akatsuki. Naruto thanked Deidara and walked in to work, dodging a look from Yahiko and hastily explaining what happened.

-OoOoOoO-

Over the next few months, riding to work with Deidara got frustrating. The other blond had a bad case of "steering wheel karaoke", and would sing at the top of his lungs to whatever song was playing. He had a ton of music on his iPod, and they never listened to the same song twice. However, Deidara's wealth of music knowledge surprised Naruto. He literally listened to _everything, _from popular Japanese rock to underground American rap. Naruto wasn't sure how long he could take it.

So he was saving up for a new car. Part of his paycheck every week was going in to a special savings account specifically for his purchase. He knew he wouldn't be able to save up enough for a car like Sasuke's, but at this point, anything would be better than listening to a tone-deaf Deidara sing his heart out every morning.

-OoOoOoO-

The first thing Naruto noticed when he slowly woke was his favorite smell. He'd know the smell of Hokage's ramen anywhere. The next thing he noticed was warmth and moisture encircling his morning erection. What a way to be woken up! He lifted the comforter and glanced underneath. A pale hand was holding the base of his shaft as a head of midnight black hair was bobbing up and down on him.

"Good morning_,_ Sasuke," he said sleepily. "What's the occasion?"

Sasuke lifted his head up just enough to lock eyes with Naruto and gave him his best "Are you fucking stupid?" look before plunging back down. Naruto gasped and threw his head back on the pillow.

"Oh, that's right," he recalled, grinning. "It's my birthday."

When Sasuke finished, he pushed the covers off of them and came up to Naruto to give him a kiss.

"Good morning, dobe," he said. "Happy birthday."

Sasuke crawled out of bed and turned to the bedside table. He picked up a tray holding a large bowl on it and ordered Naruto to sit up. He did, and Sasuke placed the tray on his lap. Naruto took a deep breath and inhaled the wonderful scent of his favorite ramen chef's (and the only one he trusted, quite frankly) most delicious masterpiece. Old man Teuchi was a genius when it came to ramen. He used to own a ramen shop called Ichiraku's when Naruto was a kid, but when Minato discovered that his son would rather buy ramen from Teuchi than go to Hokage for ramen, he had made Teuchi an offer he couldn't refuse. Teuchi was paid better than any ramen chef in the city, and all of his ingredients were top quality. Naruto ate his birthday breakfast quickly, while Sasuke smirked at him from beside the bed.

"Damn," Naruto said between slurps. "Woken up with a blowjob, breakfast in bed... You're way too good to me, teme."

"You haven't even seen your birthday present yet," Sasuke remarked. "And, yes, I am too good to you. However, you gave me exactly what I wanted for my birthday, so I figured yours should be just as epic."

When the ramen bowl was empty, Sasuke took the tray away and Naruto got out of bed. Sasuke told him to get dressed and meet him downstairs for his present. Naruto pulled on his favorite tee-shirt and jeans and raced down the stairs. Sasuke caught him as he started making his way to the living room and swiftly put his hands over his eyes.

"I will lead you to the living room," Sasuke whispered in his ear. "I don't want you to see your gift until I say it's okay."

They shuffled to the living room together, and Sasuke flopped Naruto down on one of the couches. He took a seat next to him and held out a small, flat, unwrapped black box. Naruto eyed the box quizzically. Surely this wasn't his gift. What's so epic about something so tiny? He carefully pulled the lid off the box and took out the object inside. This had to be a joke. Sasuke wouldn't...

"A... key...?" Naruto asked. "A key to... what, exactly?"

"Stand up and turn around," Sasuke told him.

So Naruto stood up and slowly turned around, looking out the large bay windows to the driveway outside. He had to be hallucinating. What he saw sitting in the driveway could _not_ actually be there. He leapt over the back of the couch and raced to the window, rubbing his eyes to clear the hallucination away. But the orange beauty was still there. Naruto nearly pissed his pants.

"Sasuke," he breathed, "is that what I think it is?"

"Yes," Sasuke replied. "That is a custom 1976 Pontiac Trans Am. I bought it a month ago from some American who was selling it online. Itachi went on a 'business trip' around the same time, and brought the car back. It went to a customization shop, where it was painted orange and that stupid... bird on the hood was covered with... something else instead. Would you like to go see it?"

"Yes!" Naruto said gleefully. He bolted out the front door and ran to the car. It was _beautiful._ It was painted orange, and on the hood, like Sasuke said, where the phoenix was usually painted, was the Nine-tailed Fox from the legends Minato told him when he was a kid. This was incredible. "You fucking bought me a _car!_"

Naruto spun around and pulled Sasuke into a tight, bone-crushing hug. "I love you!" Naruto shouted. "Thank you, thank you, _**thank you!**_ This car is, like..."

"Your dream car," Sasuke finished for him. "I know. This was the exact car you talked about all through high school."

Naruto inspected the car, pulling the driver's side door open. The interior was flawless black leather, and the stereo was brand new, with a five-disc CD player and an iPod hookup. It was a five-speed, as Naruto expected, and Naruto was practically salivating as he slipped into the driver's seat. The seat was-somehow-already set in the _exact_ position he would need it in when he drove(2), the steering wheel was at the perfect height, and-

_Oh, God I'm still holding the key, _Naruto thought, and he felt goosebumps crawl up his skin as he realized, _I can start it..._

He took a deep breath as he reached his arm forward and slid the key seamlessly into the ignition. He put his foot on the clutch and put a slight pressure on it, and turned the key. The engine roared to life, and the only thing he could think was, _Oh my God, this is real._ There was no other sound on the planet that was as beautiful as that. A sudden image flashed in Naruto's head of Sasuke underneath him, and he could almost hear Sasuke's voice screaming his name. Okay, so maybe there was _one_ sound more beautiful than the car...

His eyes darted toward the driveway, and Sasuke was standing at the hood of Naruto's car, just smiling at him. It wasn't a _smirk,_ it was an honest smile. Naruto could count on one hand the number of times Sasuke looked at him like that. Everything in that smile screamed admiration and pride. The last time Sasuke looked at him like that was when the two of them had blown out the candles on Sasuke's birthday cake this year. And he was... so beautiful. And _he _bought Naruto this amazing car, and _he_ knew Naruto well enough to know exactly what Naruto wanted for his birthday, down to _every fucking detail._ There was only one thing missing.

"Get in," Naruto demanded, grinning.

"Why?" Sasuke asked, still smiling.

"I wanna take it around the block a few times," Naruto said. "With you."

"Okay."

Naruto hooked his seat belt as Sasuke opened the passenger door and ducked inside. He put his seat belt on and Naruto put the car in gear. He backed out of the driveway slowly, keeping a watchful eye out for any parked cars (he had a tendency to... accidentally nudge parked cars as he backed out of driveways and parking spaces). When Naruto was out of the driveway, he switched gears and sped off down the street.

"The ride is so smooth," Naruto gushed, flicking on his turn signal as he approached the end of the block. He made a left-hand turn and accelerated, reveling in the feel of the smooth leather gear shift beneath his fingers. This car was sin with wheels. "I fucking love you so much, teme," he continued as he made another turn. "How the fuck did you know _exactly _what I wanted for my birthday? I mean, everything. You waking me up with... _that,_ and then the ramen, and now _this._ And _how in the fuck _did you get my seat and steering wheel perfect? Oh my God, this is the best birthday of my life."

"I knew what you wanted because I know you," Sasuke answered. "Sometimes I feel like I know you better than I know myself. And I knew how you like your seat and steering wheel because, again, I know you. I've driven your car enough times to know how your seat is usually positioned. It's not rocket science, dobe."

Naruto rolled his eyes and slowly pulled back into the driveway. He turned the car off and unhooked his seat belt, turning to Sasuke and hugging him again.

"This is perfect, Sasuke," he said quietly. "Really, thank you. And after work, we put the car in the garage and I fuck you senseless in the back seat."

"I would expect nothing less," Sasuke smirked.

Naruto got out of the car and saw Itachi and Deidara standing in their driveway. He grinned at them and motioned to his birthday gift.

"Sasuke got me a car!"

"Way to state the obvious, dobe," Sasuke chuckled, putting his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Happy birthday, Naruto," Itachi said.

"Thanks," Naruto smiled. "So, Deidara, now it's my turn to take you to work!"

"You're damn right it is, un," Deidara scoffed. "I let Itachi go to America on a fake business trip for a week to pick this car up. So you'd better let me ride in it as much as I want. Plus, Sasuke getting you a car for your birthday was technically my idea. I didn't know what extent he would take it to, but I was the one who planted the seed."

"Well, that was a good fucking seed to plant," Naruto said. "Thanks."

Sasuke leaned over and whispered in Naruto's ear, "I was already toying with this idea before Deidara said anything. _I _thought of it the day your car broke down."

_Way to try and save your own ass, teme, _Naruto silently retorted.

"Okay, Deidara," Naruto said. "We leave here in exactly an hour. Be ready."

-OoOoOoO-

Work was going way too fucking slow. It was only 3 o'clock. Sasuke couldn't leave Uchiha Corp until five, and Naruto couldn't leave Akatsuki until 8. So Sasuke still had over _five hours_ before he could be naked in Naruto's car. Damn. The second hand of the clock on Sasuke's office wall was taunting him with that incessant ticking. So Sasuke closed his eyes and let his mind wander. He thought back a few weeks, when Naruto and Sasuke had met with the adoption agency.

_*Flasback_

"_Mr. Uchiha, Mr. Uzumaki, please have a seat," the man said, motioning to the seats before his desk._

_Sasuke and Naruto sat. Sasuke was nervous. Out of the fourteen adoption agencies he had called, this had been the only one that was gay-friendly. They needed to make a really good impression today. This would pretty much be their only chance if they wanted to start a family._

"_My name is Umino Iruka," the man introduced himself. "I run this adoption agency. I understand your position. My partner and I struggled to adopt for many years, but were unable to find an adoption agency that would speak to us. We were turned away by countless people on countless occasions, so I became inspired. I wanted to open a business that strictly catered to same-sex couples looking to adopt. You have come to the right place. I will warn you, the process is long and tedious. It may take a number of years for the two of you to have a child. So I ask you, how bad do you want this?"_

"_We're willing to wait," Naruto answered immediately. "We don't care how long it takes. We're still young. If we're thirty before we become parents, it's okay. But the sooner we get the process started, the sooner that'll happen. We'll do whatever it takes."_

"_Mr. Uchiha?" Umino Iruka prompted._

"_I agree with Naruto," he said simply. "Anything it takes."_

_Umino Iruka smiled._

"_Good," he said. "Fill this application out." He handed each of them a piece of paper and a pen. "Be sure to include your e-mail address so I can send you the rest of the paperwork. When you complete the paperwork, e-mail it back to me, and you will officially be on the list of adopters. And then, we play the waiting game."_

_Sasuke filled out the application quickly, and handed it back. Naruto followed shortly after. Umino looked over the completed applications and smiled at them._

"_Mr. Uchiha, Mr. Uzumaki, congratulations. You've just taken your first step on the journey to parenthood."_

_Sasuke was on cloud nine as they drove home. He couldn't stop thinking about how well that had gone. He hadn't had any reason to be nervous. He and Naruto, someday, would be parents. Naruto was jabbering on and on about Umino Iruka. He recognized him, he said, but he couldn't figure out where from. Sasuke sighed._

"_He's Kakashi-sensei's partner," Sasuke provided._

"_Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked. "You mean our high school gym teacher? The one that made us do that thing with the bells?"_

"_Yes."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_He used to come visit Kakashi-sensei at school," Sasuke said. "I recognized him immediately."_

"_Your memory is insane," Naruto commented, shaking his head._

_*End flashback_

Someone cleared their throat, bringing Sasuke back to the present. He looked up at his brother and blinked a few times.

"You seem distracted today," Itachi noted, crossing his arms.

"I'll say," Sasuke returned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't know what's gotten into me. My brain has been mush all day long."

"Well get your head out of your ass," Itachi demanded. "We have an afternoon meeting."

"A meeting?" Sasuke was confused. Itachi sighed.

"Father wanted this deal with Byakugan Industries closed last week," Itachi explained, pushing a file under Sasuke's nose. "And you have been too childish and stubborn and stuck on the past to even schedule this meeting. So I did. Go over this file and be in the board room in..." he checked his watch, "twenty minutes."

"Who do you think you are?" Sasuke spat. "In case you have forgotten, I'm _your_ boss, not the other way around."

"And my boss is acting like a foolish child," Itachi shot back. "You will have to deal with the Hyuugas, _otouto._ We do business with them. And as you've already pointed out, you're the boss. Bosses sometimes have to do things they are uncomfortable with. Grow a pair."

Itachi strode out of Sasuke's office and shut the door before Sasuke had a chance to respond. "Grow a pair"? That wasn't the issue here. The issue was that last time Sasuke had seen Neji, when he left Uchiha Corp. that last day, Neji had promised to make Sasuke's professional life a living hell. And now he was working for Byakugan Industries. And while Sasuke knew what this file Itachi gave him held inside, and what the deal he was supposed to be closing entailed, he had no fucking clue how he was going to talk Byakugan Industries into practically giving Uchiha Corp. the Haruno Pharmaceuticals takeover. Both companies had been negotiating with Haruno Pharmaceuticals for over a year now, and it seemed as though their CEO, a woman by the name of Sakura, was still on the fence about which multi-billion Yen company to sell to.

Sasuke opened the file to reacquaint himself with the details, and nearly dropped the folder when he saw the picture that was staring back at him. It was Haruno Pharmaceuticals' CEO, and Sasuke would recognize that pink disaster anywhere. He quickly picked up his desk phone and dialed Itachi's office. His brother answered right away with a drawled, "Yes, little brother?"

"Why didn't you tell me that my _neighbor_ is the CEO of the company we are fighting Byakugan Industries for?" Sasuke demanded.

"I didn't think it was relevant," Itachi answered, and Sasuke could practically see that condescending Uchiha-trademarked smirk on his face.

"Of course it's relevant!" Sasuke exploded. "We could have bought Haruno Pharmaceuticals _months_ ago! She's infatuated with the both of us. All it would take is a little flirting."

"You're so naive," Itachi said simply. "Don't you think I've tried that? She just likes to look. I'm sure we could offer her a date with the both of us and it still wouldn't help. Byakugan is offering her more money, but we are offering her company better benefits. This meeting today with Byakugan Industries is basically just us telling them to back the fuck off; this takeover is ours. You'll do fine."

The line went dead. It was time to make an executive decision. His father put him in charge, and it was high time for Sasuke to start acting like the CEO he was. He would offer Haruno Pharmaceuticals the same amount of money Byakugan was offering, and he would still include all the benefits Uchiha Corp. had already offered. But now what was he going to say to the Hyuuga CEO? He had only dealt with Hyuuga Hiashi one other time, and the man was almost as stubborn as the Uchiha patriarch.

Sasuke sighed and closed the file. This was going to be a nightmare.

As Sasuke walked into the board room, three pairs of silver eyes watched him intently while he made his way to the head of the table. He spotted Neji immediately; the death glare was hard to miss. Beside him was Hinata, and on her other side was her father, Hiashi. Sasuke bowed-out of respect, nothing more-to the Hyuugas and took his place at the head of the table. Itachi came in not thirty seconds later and seated himself beside Sasuke. And then the meeting was underway. Surprisingly, Hinata did most of the talking. Her stutter was all but gone, and she was very knowledgeable about her father's business and the Haruno takeover. She spoke politely and professionally, but her eyes and the curl in her lip held a different emotion: contempt. It seemed Neji wasn't the only Hyuuga who was bitter.

"I'm going to stop you there," Sasuke interjected as Hinata began her proposal for both companies buying out Haruno Pharmaceuticals and owning shares with the company. _Ugh, women should _not _run Fortune 500 companies, _Sasuke thought bitterly. "Uchiha Corp. _will_ be taking Haruno Pharmaceuticals for itself. We plan to offer 30 million Yen and all the benefits we were previously offering."

Hinata's face fell and she looked toward her father. There was no emotion on the man's face at all.

"Fine," he said shortly. "We will withdraw our offer. Haruno Pharmaceuticals is yours."

Well, _that_ was easy.

The trio got up to leave, but Hinata stopped at the door.

"Can I have a private word with you, Uchiha-sama?" she asked, her voice full of malice.

"Of course," Sasuke answered. "Come to my office."

She followed Sasuke into his office and shut the door tightly behind her. And then, Hyuuga Hinata snapped.

"Do you get some sort of sick pleasure in taking things away from my family?" She demanded. "First, you destroy my hopes of _ever_ being with Naruto. And _then_, Uchiha Corp. steals Neji from Byakugan Industries. Then you completely destroy Neji's life-"

"I didn't destroy his life," Sasuke cut in. "He brought all of that on himself."

"He was your _friend!_" Hinata shouted. "And you betrayed him. He fell in love, and you ripped his boyfriend and his job right out from under him. You are _selfish,_ Uchiha Sasuke, and you've turned Naruto into a selfish bastard, too! And now... now, you take away my chance of becoming CEO. This Haruno deal was the only thing standing in my way. Seriously," she warned, narrowing her eyes, "you had better _pray_ to whatever god will listen to your sorry ass that I _never_ run Byakugan Industries, because if I do take over, my first order of business will be turning this 'friendly rivalry' into an _all out war._ I will destroy you, just like you destroyed Neji. Have a nice fucking day."

Hinata stormed out after that.Sasuke sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. Silly, naive little girl... She was right about one thing, though. This time last year, he and Neji had been friends. They'd been good friends. Funny how drastically things can change. Itachi popped his head in the door.

"Five o'clock," he said. "You ready?"

"Absolutely," Sasuke answered, shutting his desktop computer down and packing up his briefcase.

They made their way out of Uchiha Corp. together, and Sasuke told his brother what Hinata said.

"Don't be ashamed," Itachi said. "You did what was right for you. You were in love with Naruto long before Neji was, and it just took you seeing him with someone else to put you on the right path. Neji knew how the two of you felt about each other. If anything, _he_ was being selfish. Okay, yes, so were you and Naruto. Neji wasn't completely innocent in all this, though. As a matter of fact, he was the one who went nuts after the break-up. And don't worry about Hinata. She can't do a damn thing."

"Oh, believe me, I am _not_ afraid of some silly little girl," Sasuke assured him. "Bring it on, Hyuuga."

When Sasuke and Itachi walked into Akatsuki, Naruto was gathering his messenger bag up and heading toward the door.

"C'mon," Naruto grinned. "Yahiko said when you got here I could leave. Happy birthday to me!"

He pulled Sasuke out the door and to his car. Naruto stood back for a moment and sighed, just gazing at his car.

"Okay," Naruto chirped. "Get in, let's go home."

-OoOoOoO-

Sasuke was panting and moaning beneath him while his hands gripped the leather seats of the car, and Naruto was on cloud fucking nine. He'd never had a birthday quite like this one before, and he knew that nothing else would ever be able to compare. The entire day had been utter perfection, and this was the icing on the cake. There was literally nothing missing.

So why was he thinking about Neji?

No matter how many times Naruto pushed the thought from his mind, his brain kept replaying the images of making love in the Mustang. Tonight, when he and Sasuke had gotten home, Sasuke had attempted to strip Naruto and ride him, much like Neji had done in the Mustang. Instead of telling Sasuke the reason he didn't want to do it like that, Naruto had simply taken control and pinned his lover to the seat.

Sasuke was starting to lose it now, chanting Naruto's name over and over again. It wouldn't be long now. They would both reach a blinding climax at any time, and Naruto would be able to stop agonizing over his thoughts of Neji while Sasuke was beneath him.

This would never happen again, Naruto decided. Car sex was obviously something he would always associate with his relationship with Neji, and it wasn't fair to Sasuke for him to be thinking of someone else at a time like this. For the first time since they finally got together, Naruto found himself wanting to get this lovemaking session over with as quickly as possible, for both their sakes.

At long last, Naruto came with a long, drawn-out sigh as Sasuke's muscles clenched around him, signaling his own release.

"Happy birthday, dobe. I love you."

"I love you too, teme."

Naruto felt like an asshole.

-OoOoOoO-

Neji was sitting on his couch, staring intently at the phone in his hand. It was a bad idea to call, that much he knew (especially after what had happened last time he'd tried to get in touch with him; Neji rubbed his nose at the memory), but he almost couldn't help himself. The name just stared back at him on the screen, almost daring Neji to call. He took a deep, shaky breath, and went to push send. _It's his birthday, _Neji consoled himself. _What's wrong with wanting to call someone to wish them a happy birthday? _His thumb hovered over the send button for a while longer, and his mind seemed to be declaring war on itself. Was this really a good idea? Sasuke would kill him if he found out he'd called Naruto. His decision was made for him as the newest addition to Neji's life walked out of the bathroom and eyed him suspiciously as he toweled off his hair.

"Neji," he said, "don't you dare."

The redhead took Neji's phone away from him and turned it off.

"I _will_ confiscate your phone for the rest of the night," he warned.

"It's his birthday," Neji argued. "What's wrong with wanting to wish someone a happy birthday?"

"When that person is your ex whose boyfriend has already broken your nose once?" Gaara asked. "Everything is wrong with wanting to call him-even if it is just to wish him a happy birthday."

Gaara took a seat next to Neji on the couch and put a comforting arm around him.

"You've been doing well, Neji," the redhead assured him. "Don't screw up all your hard work just because it's Naruto's birthday."

Gaara was right. Neji had been doing really well lately. About a week after the incident at Naruto and Sasuke's house when they first moved in, Gaara had found Neji at a bar. He was already half in the bag, and was working on getting shitfaced. Yet again. It had become a vicious cycle. Every night since the breakup, Neji had found himself seated at a bar, drinking until he could barely stand, and then going home and creeping Naruto's Facebook and Twitter accounts. He felt like a stalker, but it wasn't quite enough to make him stop.

When Gaara found him, he was already on his fourth gin and tonic (by that time, he'd found he could literally drink anything, despite the taste), and he was nursing his newly broken nose. His entire face was bruised, and he knew he looked like total shit. Gaara had hesitantly sat down on the barstool next to Neji and ordered him another drink. They had sat in comfortable silence for some time, and then, when Gaara finally asked how Neji was holding up, the flood gates opened. Neji told him everything: intimate details about his and Naruto's relationship,how he'd felt the day of the breakup, the mistake he'd made that same night, and most recently, how he'd made an ass of himself by showing up at Naruto and Sasuke's new house. Gaara just listened and consoled. He didn't apologize for telling Sasuke about their deal; he didn't need to, in Neji's eyes. Just knowing that Gaara was there, listening to his woes (and buying him drinks) was enough for Neji.

Over the next few weeks, they started seeing each other more often, going out to dinner or staying in and cooking together. It became apparent to Neji in those few short weeks that, despite everything, he and Gaara were perfectly matched. They were similarly jaded, both chock-full of Mommy _and_ Daddy issues, and they had both experienced similar heartbreak in their lives. Gaara had slowly talked Neji into getting sober (he could definitely admit that, after the breakup, his drinking had become a problem-it had always been like that for Neji; when life got tough, he would just drink his problems away), and he accompanied Neji to the 12-step meetings (3) that Neji himself still wasn't completely comfortable attending alone. Gaara had also given Neji the number for his therapist, and Neji was now attending bi-weekly therapy sessions that seemed to be somewhat helping.

So, slowly but surely, Neji was moving on with his life. It had been a rough couple of months, but he could definitely say he was doing... better. Not well, really, but better. He finally deleted Naruto from his Facebook, and he was no longer follwing him on Twitter. He wasn't haunted by him anymore, really. This last obstacle, however, was proving extremely difficult to overcome. He just couldn't seem to delete Naruto's humber from his phone. He still got a little choked up over it when he thought about it. It would be like... deleting Naruto from existence, and he could not handle that.

And then today happened. When he woke up this morning, his very first thought had been, _It's Naruto's birthday today._ And then he got to work and Hinata called him in to her office. As her assistant, preparing her for her CEO takeover, he attended every meeting she went to. This morning, he'd received some disturbing news from his pseudo-boss: They would be going to Uchiha Corp. for a meeting at 4:30. Neji had been dreading it all day. And then when they went, and Sasuke had been so... superior, about every little thing. He had looked at Neji like he was the bug on the bottom of his shoe, and he had talked to Hinata like she was a joke. But then she _owned him_ in his office. Neji had been listening just outside Sasuke's office door, and he was incredibly proud of his clinically shy little cousin. As they walked out of Uchiha Corp. this afternoon, Hinata had made him a promise:

"_I will destroy his fucking life. And I _will_ get you your man back. That bastard doesn't deserve him."_

Neji had been touched by her promise, he really had, but he didn't feel that it was particularly necessary. In fact, he didn't really want her to keep that promise. He had loved Naruto, true, but Naruto loved _Sasuke. _And he knew that, to Naruto, Neji never had and never would live up to Sasuke. Neji was beginning to accept that now. He missed Naruto, but he could live without him.

Besides, he had Gaara who was, if nothing else, an amazing friend.

Little by little, Gaara was saving him. Neji was still very guarded, not willing to get hurt again, and Gaara was very understanding. They were taking... whatever this was... very slow. Their physical relationship had progressed past kissing yet, and even that didn't happen very often. They were both weirdly okay with it. They had discussed things, and while they agreed that they were attracted to one another, they also agreed that now wasn't the time for Neji to be considering _another _relationship when the last one had broken him as badly as it had. But when Neji was truly ready to move on, they would try the dating thing. After all, they both remembered a certain _deal_ that still needed to be closed. Gaara had joked (badly) that Neji should have included "helping get over the heartbreak" in the original deal. Neji had warned that letting go of Naruto would take some time, and Gaara had understood.

"You're better off without him," Gaara said suddenly, running his fingers through Neji's hair.

"Yeah, I know," Neji replied honestly. "Moving on isn't easy. But it is easier when you have help." He took Gaara's hand in his. "Thank you."

Gaara smiled and leaned forward to lightly brush their lips together.

"You're welcome," he said. "Now go get dressed. I seem to remember that we have a six o'clock dinner reservation at that fancy French restaurant Hinata has been raving about. _Your _treat this week, if I'm not mistaken."

"Right," Neji agreed. He snuck another kiss, then retreated to his room to get ready for dinner.

Gaara was right, he decided as he fingered a 4x6 he had printed out of the picture Naruto had taken while they were on vacation. He was still very fond of this picture. He figured he always would be. Up until that point, that had been the happiest moment of his life. And being with Naruto had been the best three months of his entire life. He also knew that someday, he would feel that same elation again. And when that happened, he would be able to look at this picture without feeling pain anymore. He was glad that he had Gaara to help him through this dark point in his life. And somewhere deep down, he secretly hoped that Gaara would be the one to make him feel loved again. Gaara was almost like... Neji's silver lining.

Neji rolled his eyes and chuckled at the corniness of his thoughts, and put the picture away.

-OoOoOoO-

**A/N: Whew! That was the toughest chapter I've had to do for this story. Seriously, you guys, I am **_**so sorry **_**it took this long. But like I said, other plots just keep coming and coming and **_**coming**_**. I have seven notebooks containing new material. Most are one or two-shots (long ones). But I would like to ask my readers: Would you guys read a (semi) canon ItaDei one-shot if I wrote one? I have a pretty good plot so far, and I absolutely love them as a pairing (if you didn't notice by my constant mention of them in this story). I really want to write it, and definitely will, but the only issue is whether or not to post it. Anyway, please let me know. Oh, and if there were any grammar/spelling mistakes or typos, sorry. Proof reading was almost nonexistant for this chapter. Now, about those end notes...**

**(1) In the gay community, someone's "beard" is their cover relationship.**

**(2) I don't know about anyone else, but when I drive, my seat and my steering wheel have to be perfect before I can drive comfortably. I'm severely anal-retentive (haha, anal...) about it, so I decided Naruto should be, too.**

**(3) Honestly, I have no idea if they have 12-step meetings in Japan, and I don't care. In my story, 12-step meetings are everywhere. For those of you who don't know, 12-step meetings (like Alcoholics Anonymous) help addicts and their families work through their addictions with the help of other recovering addicts and families of addicts. I grew up around 12-step meetings and have a lot of faith that they work.**


	12. Epilogue

**A/N: Now, I know you all think that this was abandoned. Well, you were wrong. =D I was having sooooo much trouble with this epilogue. And I think I figured out why. So the epilogue has gone through a slight… revision.**

**Warnings: Domestic fluff, Swearing, Family schmoop, Mention of side character death (I am _so sorry._ It just happened while I was writing. I couldn't bring myself to take it out.). No smut.**

**Inspiration music: Uhm, oddly enough, I was listening to Linkin Park's album _Meteora_ when I had the breakthrough on this. It has nothing to do with this story. Just thought it was interesting, considering this album is a big part of my life.**

**See the end for a sneak peak of Everything You Need. (This I have been writing, but it won't start being posted until it's at least half-done.)**

_**Nine Years, 11 months, and 3 weeks later.**_

"Hitomi!"

Daddy snaps his fingers in front of my face as I scoop a spoonful of cereal into my mouth. I blink and look up at him, standing above me, his hand perched on the back of my chair. He's got that look on his face that says he's been trying to get my attention for a few minutes. I was daydreaming and didn't hear him. It happens a lot.

"Hmm?" I hum around my mouthful of rice flakes.

"Your birthday is next weekend," he sighs, as though he has only said it a million times before now. He's exaggerating. "You need to decide on colors so I can get the streamers and tablecloths for your party."

I look to Daddy Dobe, because I am absolutely positive that he has told Daddy about a million times what color streamers to get. I'm _not _exaggerating. But Daddy Dobe stays silent, and leaves it to me. So I swallow the cereal and look back up at Daddy.

"Pink and orange!" I pout. "Pink for me, and orange for Daddy Dobe! Duh!"

Daddy sighs again, and narrows his eyes at Daddy Dobe, who is sitting in the chair across from mine at the kitchen table, just grinning from behind his computer.

"I told you," he laughs, the lines around his eyes crinkling like they only do for me and Daddy. "Our birthdays are the same day. Having a birthday party for Hitomi will forever mean throwing a party for me, too, teme."

I'm turning seven next week. But Daddy says I'm going to be seven-going-on-sixteen; whatever that means. Daddy Dobe is turning… 30-something, I think. I don't know, and Daddy Dobe doesn't talk about it. But Daddy keeps trying to tell me that Daddy Dobe is too old for a birthday party. He won't let us throw one for him; only let's Daddy Dobe take him out to dinner, and they send me to bed early when they open a bottle of red wine and Daddy gets this look in his eye. Daddy Dobe says it's because Daddy's birthday is a really special day for the two of them. Their anniversary. He says it was "the day everything changed."

Daddy told me the story once. He said that they were best friends when they were kids, and then when they got older, they fell in love with each other. But it was a secret for a really long time. And then, ten years ago, on Daddy's birthday, it wasn't a secret anymore, and they got together. And they haven't been apart since.

Daddy and Daddy Dobe love each other a lot. They adopted me three years later. I don't know my birth mom. All I know is that she was a teenager when she had me, and she wanted a better life for me than what she could give me, so she asked Daddy and Daddy Dobe to be my parents. I'm glad she did. My Daddies wanted me more than anything, and my whole family is awesome. Granny's losing her mind, and Uncle Dei drives Daddy up a wall.

Uncle Dei is hilarious. Uncle 'Tachi told me once that when I was a baby, I would puke in his hair every time he came over. He said Uncle Dei got so mad every single time, but I would just laugh and he would turn into goo. Uncle Dei has such pretty hair. He almost looks like a girl sometimes, with how slender and pretty he is. I can see why Uncle 'Tachi likes him so much. Uncle 'Tachi is handsome, too, in an old guy sort of way. He's quiet and soft-spoken and polite, where Uncle Dei is loud and hyper and has a "short fuse," as Daddy says. I think that means he blows up a lot. If so, he's right. He gets mad real easily, but he's over it pretty quick. He's always shouting at Daddy, and Daddy's face just gets red and he sits with his arms crossed over his chest and one leg over the other.

Daddy Dobe says I got that from him. I think he means when I pout when I don't get my way.

Daddy is sitting down in his chair now, between Daddy Dobe and me, with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. It's Sunday morning, and Daddy Dobe doesn't work today. We're going to the aquarium later; a birthday present from Daddy Dobe. We went two years ago, when I turned five, and since then I've learned everything I can about sharks. So today when we go, I'll know which sharks are which! I know a little about fish, too, so I'll probably know the names of most of the fish there, too.

Daddy says I'm really smart, and Daddy Dobe says I get that from him. Daddy just laughs at him. I don't know why; Daddy Dobe _is_ smart. He helped me build a fort out of blankets and pillows one night, and then sat in there with me with a flashlight telling ghost stories. Daddy isn't silly like that, usually, unless Daddy Dobe teases him. That night, Daddy Dobe bullied him into the fort, and Daddy did get a little silly with us. Those nights are my favorite, because we all laugh really hard, and Daddy doesn't seem as irritated. Daddy says that work is really stressful, and that "those goddamned Hyuugas" keep stealing his clients. Daddy Dobe gets a little quiet when Daddy brings up the Hyuugas, and he told me that it's because he dated Hyuuga Neji before he and Daddy got together, so now he and his cousin are angry at Daddy. I think that's kinda stupid, though. They shouldn't be angry that Daddy Dobe is in love. They should be happy that Daddy Dobe is happy.

But that's just what I think.

I finish my cereal and thank my daddies for the meal, then jump out of my chair and take off toward my bedroom.

"Ah, ah ,ah!" Daddy reprimands. "What did you forget, young lady?"

"May I be excused, please?" I ask quickly, and Daddy smiles at me as he takes a sip of his coffee. He waves me off, and I dart up the stairs to get dressed for today. Downstairs, I hear Daddy Dobe laugh at something Daddy says, and I smile as I go into my bedroom. It's looked like this all my life; soft pink walls, with blue and purple butterflies hand-painted over my bed. Daddy Dobe is an artist. I know that people say that tattoo artists aren't real artists, but Daddy Dobe really is. Daddy must think so, too, because he let Daddy Dobe give him a tattoo, and he doesn't really like them all that much.

There's a pink dress with my favorite sparkly silver tights laid out on the bed for me to put on, so I take off my nightgown and slip the dress over my head. It falls right at my knees, and the sleeves end right above my knuckles. I tie the ribbon around my waist, and then move on to the tights. I always have a little trouble getting them on right; they're always twisted or bunched around my ankles. After struggling for a few minutes, unable to get them on the right way, I call out for Daddy. He can always get them on right, whereas Daddy Dobe can't seem to figure them out at all.

Daddy appears in my doorway in no time, then chuckles when he sees what I'm having trouble with. He kneels down in front of me and tells me to take off the tights. I step out of them, and Daddy picks them up. He scrunches them down, and then I lift up my leg. Daddy slides my foot in one side, then the other, and then together we pull them up my legs. They're on straight, and they're not bunched around the ankles. I smile and thank Daddy.

"Let me go get the comb," he says. "How do you want your hair today, love?"

"Ribbon," I tell him, and he straightens up to stride toward the closet for my hair supplies. We used to keep them in the bathroom, but Daddy Dobe takes forever in the shower, so Daddy moved the giant tub of combs and bows and hair ties and ribbons and headbands to my bedroom closet.

He pulls the same tub from the closet now, and brings it over to set it on my unmade bed. We both get up on the mattress and sit while Daddy goes through the hair stuff to find a ribbon that will match my dress. I'm sure we have one. We have bows and ribbons to match everything I wear.

"How about silver?" he asks, pulling out a satiny ribbon. "To go with your tights?"

I nod. It's a good idea. I turn my back toward Daddy and flip on the clock radio beside my bed. He pulls a comb through my long black hair to detangle it and hums along to the music on the radio. This is my favorite part of any given day; sitting on my bed with Daddy while he combs my hair and hums to music that he doesn't even know. This is when we bond.

I hum along, too; I do know this song. It's pretty – a woman singing about a broken relationship, then a man joining in for a duet. Daddy and I hum together as he slips the ribbon beneath my hair, then ties a big, floppy bow on top before sliding it a little off-center so the end of the bow sits above my ear. He nudges my shoulder to turn me around, and then I'm facing him. He smiles at me and pulls a few locks of loose curls (Daddy loves them) in front of my shoulders. Daddy turns back to the tub and retrieves a bottle of non-aerosol hairspray and spritzes some above my head to let it fall on my hair. We're both very particular about our hair, Daddy and I. He spends almost as much time on his hair every day that Daddy Dobe does in the shower. He's fluffing the ends of my hair to separate the curls, then offers me my favorite soft smile from him, when his eyes are filled with admiration and love. He doesn't even smile at Daddy Dobe like that, so I guess I'm really special to him. He tells me that I complete his life. He has the love of his life, the greatest and worst brother in the world combined, and now the most perfect daughter on the planet. I don't think I'm perfect, but I'm glad Daddy thinks so.

We shut off the clock radio and make our way to the bathroom, where I brush my teeth and Daddy Dobe is getting out his electric razor. Daddy Dobe has gotten to the point where he has to shave his face every day, or he'll have really bad stubble. And it all grows in uneven, so he looks kinda funny with facial hair. Daddy is getting out towels for him and Daddy Dobe. When they have a day off work on the same day, they like to take a shower together. I'd rather not think about why. Sex is something I know about, but thinking about my parents doing something like that just weirds me out, I guess. And it's not because their both guys. It's because, like, they're my _parents. _What kid _would _want to think about their parents doing that?

Some kids at school make fun of me for having two dads, but like Daddy Dobe says, "Fuck 'em." They don't know how great my life is. I wish every kid could have two dads. I don't really care if people make fun of me. They don't have a good reason, and they're just jealous that my hair looks fucking _fabulous _every day, and their dads can't even figure out how to tie a ponytail. I know I'm not supposed to use words like "fuck," but I never say it out loud, so what's the big deal?

The only thing that bothers me about the kids at school is their parents. Daddy tried to join the PTA at school last year, but some moms chased him out with words like "Faggot" and "Queer." He cried all evening, and even let Daddy Dobe order ramen from Old Man's restaurant. I beat the snot out of that mom's kid at school the next day. Daddy was upset about it and grounded me, but Daddy Dobe talked him out of it because I did it defending my family, and he says that's very honorable.

I finish brushing my teeth and head out of the bathroom to go downstairs and watch TV until they're ready to leave. There are a few good animes that play on Sundays, so I'll probably watch for an hour or so before we leave. Daddy pokes his head out of the bathroom just as I'm about to walk out of their bedroom.

"Get the pink ballet flats out of the closet to wear today," he advises me. "They'll be comfortable to walk in, and the pinks complement each other."

I nod and make my way toward the staircase, thinking once again that I have the greatest life in the world.

_**Ten Years Later.**_

Seventeen. My daughter is getting ready to turn _seventeen years old. _ She'll be graduating high school in fucking _March_. This is ridiculous. It feels like just yesterday Sasuke and I were meeting her for the first time, after her biological mother gave birth to her. I loved her right from the start. Sasuke did too. I just don't know how wonderful her seventeenth birthday is going to be. We've been through so much this year. We lost Itachi in March, and then Mikoto in May. I wasn't sure for a while if Sasuke would recover. Itachi's death was bad enough, but then losing his mom two months later was just too much for him. He still drinks a lot. And we spent a lot of money paying for their funerals. The only good thing that came out of the whole ordeal was Sasuke and Deidara getting along better. They sit together some evenings drinking and talking about Itachi. Hitomi didn't handle it very well, either. She loved Itachi, and she loved her grandmother. But more than grieve, she worried about her Daddy.

Hitomi and Sasuke have an absolutely beautiful relationship. Sometimes it's like they're completely in-sync. Sasuke used to do her hair for her every morning, but she learned so much that by the time she was a teenager, she was doing her own hair alongside her dad in the bathroom mirror. Sometimes they fight over counter space or hair products, but it remains their daily bonding time. I don't know how it happened, but Hitomi has grown up to look almost like a carbon copy of Sasuke, with a woman's physique. Strangers sometimes think that she's his biological daughter. She's a real Daddy's Girl – and she has two daddies.

I was worried for a while that she was starting to not think of me as her dad anymore, because when she was twelve she stopped calling me Daddy Dobe like she had all her life. One day she sat me down and said, "I don't think I can call you Daddy Dobe anymore." And my heart sunk. Then she sighed and said, "I think I'd rather just call you Dad, if that's alright. Daddy Dobe just sounds kinda childish, ya know?" And she smirked at me just like Sasuke would do.

I grinned and hugged her and told her of course she could call me just Dad.

Hitomi is the most perfect daughter a dad could ask for. She's hella smart, and has been accepted to some Ivy League school in the States; Princeton or something like that. She wants to major in law with a minor in business so when her Daddy retires, she can take over Uchiha Corp. _and _oversee all legal contracts. She'll be graduating at the top of her class this year, then flying off to the US shortly after summer. Her eighteenth birthday will be the first birthday that she and I haven't spent together. It was a coincidence that she was born on my birthday, but it's been a happy coincidence for seventeen years now. We always celebrate together, and she is even planning to come home the weekend of her twentieth birthday so we can go get drinks together. We both understand that it's still a few years away, but it's been a plan for a few years now.

Hitomi doesn't have a boyfriend right now, but she's okay with that. She says that guys just complicate things, and she'd rather have her life together before getting in too deep with some guy. I think she's just nervous about having to tell another guy that when he meets her parents, he'll be meeting two dads. She's bitched to Sasuke about it and says that it's literally the only disadvantage of having two dads. Guys are terrified enough to meet a girl's dad if she only has _one,_ and with how protective of her Sasuke and I both are, meetings with any boys that want to date our daughter must be a little frightening for said teenage boy. I understand it.

Hitomi has about a million friends at school, and has already joined a Facebook group of future Princeton students. She's already made friends with a girl on there who will be majoring in physics, and they're planning to meet for coffee once they get to campus. I've also noticed that she has been talking to a guy, an American named Greg who will also be majoring in law. He's been a little flirtatious with her, and she seems receptive. I really hope she can find a nice, smart guy to settle down with someday.

She goes to see my mom once a week; they go drink coffee at their favorite café and discuss books they've been reading. Mom's going a little off her rocker – okay, a lot off her rocker – and Hitomi gets a kick out of her eccentricities. She's acquired about five or six cats over the past few years, and Dad just chuckles about it. It's kind of funny thinking that my mom has become the crazy cat lady, but it makes sense to me for some reason.

My relationship with Sasuke is more solid that it has ever been. We've spent our entire lives in each other's company, and still the love we feel for each other just grows stronger every day. I have a bit of a beer belly now, but Sasuke still finds me desirable. We spend every anniversary with a bottle of red wine, candles, and sex until dawn. As Hitomi got older, she started banging on the wall separating our bedrooms, declaring, "Jesus Christ, I even know who's bottoming! Quit with all the goddamned noise!" When she was fifteen, she came across a box of toys and movies under our bed, and acted like she was traumatized. In response, I bought her a vibrator for Christmas that year and told her to quit bitching. Sasuke was mortified, and berated me for hours about how "Hitomi is too young for something like that!" and "How could I think that was appropriate?" I reminded him that he got his first vibrator as a gag gift from Deidara when he was fifteen, and had nearly cried when it busted for good shortly after he and I finally got together. I also asked him if he'd rather have our daughter using a toy or having sex with some guy who will just end up breaking her heart. He'd finally relented after that, but no one ever spoke openly about it again. But I do see her come home sometimes with a new pack of batteries, so I'm guessing she still has it.

I still tattoo at the shop, and when Yahiko retired, he asked me to run it. I gave Hitomi her first tattoo for her sixteenth birthday, a blue butterfly like the ones painted on her bedroom wall across the top of her foot. Konan pierced her belly-button the same year. She's been stretching her ears for a while now, and is wearing size 2 plugs. She wants to get her nose pierced after graduation, and I've already approved it. Sasuke didn't like the idea at first, thought it might not suit her face, but I assured him that if she wore a small diamond, it should look fine. Sasuke told me later in the night, while we were lying in bed, that the only way he would be okay with it is if I let him buy her a real diamond nose ring.

"She only deserves the best," he stressed.

"You just want to spoil her," I argued affectionately.

"Maybe so," he sighed in admission. "But I can't help it. She's my daughter."

And I feel the same way. I'd do anything for that kid. I'm getting her a car for graduation. She grew up around my American car obsession, and acquired it. She knows everything there is to know about a Corvette engine, and has a taste for a '67 Impala. I've been looking at prices from classic car dealerships online, and have been saving up for a few months now. With all the money the shop has been making since I took over, I get a bigger salary and will have enough for the car by the time she graduates. She doesn't want it customized at all; says that if she ever wants anything done to it, she'll damn well do it herself, and have me help. And I can't help but think that there is _nothing_ this girl can't do. She took piano and dance lessons growing up, and now she's the president of the kendo club at school. Hitomi will never cease to amaze me.

Our lives aren't nearly perfect, but we have each other, and that's saying something.

_**End.**_

**Everything You Need – sneak peak.**

I didn't mean to fall in love with him. I didn't even _want _to fall in love with him. He was loud and obnoxious and _completely_ not my type. But Natruto had this… this undeniable magnetism that just drew me right in. We were doomed from the start, and I knew it. He was already in love with someone else. But I fell in love with the asshole anyway. Hell, maybe I'm a masochist. That would explain a lot, actually.

Anyway, I'm getting off topic.

Naruto. He came into my life like a primal lightning storm. I had known _of_ him, of course. His best friend was my boss. My boss, Sasuke, and I _used _to be drinking buddies, and he talked a lot about his best friend. The things Sasuke would say about Naruto made me think he was just some big, dumb – "clinically stupid" were the words Sasuke used – teddy bear that listened to awful music and had an addiction to porn. As the story went, Naruto had been sulking the past few weeks because Sasuke had acquired a "boyfriend." (Sasuke didn't like the term, said he preferred to "keep his options open." The guy was a bit of a slut.)

So I offered to take Naruto out on a few dates to try and make him feel better. Sasuke tried to talk me out of it.

"He can't be that bad," I'd argued. "He's probably just jealous that you're getting laid. I can make that jealousy go away."

(Okay, so Sasuke may not be the only slut here. Not the point.)

It took some persuading, but in the end, Sasuke promised he would talk to Naruto.

"He's not a fan of blind dates," he'd explained.

Apparently Naruto didn't need much convincing, because a week later, I was making my way to Naruto's favorite restaurant – owned by his father – for our first date. If I had known what I would be walking in to, meeting Naruto, I may have turned and run to save myself the heartbreak. I'm still not completely sure. I don't know what I had been expecting upon seeing this big, dumb teddy bear for the first time. But I certainly did not expect my breath to completely leave my body. Naruto was fucking gorgeous. He _was _big - six-foot-four at the least – and a blue-eyed blond. His spiky hair was in casual disarray, and his eyes looked like the ocean – no exaggeration. He smiled when he noticed me, the corner of his mouth turning up in a goofy, lopsided grin.

And I turned to complete goo. I never stood a chance.

**A/N: Well, there you have it – the ending to Everything You Want and the beginning of Everything You Need. I hope I didn't disappoint. I have a ton of awesomeness in the works currently (even something I'm considering collaborating with someone on, so if you're interested…), and will be posting almost everything here, and even some different stuff on my AO3 account. I'm considering re-writing some of EYW, but I'll letcha know for sure later. Stay tuned.**

**Reviews are lovely. **


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